DR-AKE 

AND  HIS  YEOMEN 


BY 


JAMES  BARNES 


Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

^   True  Accounti7ig 

of  the 

Character  and  Adventures  of  Sir  Francis  Drake 

As  told  by  Sir  Matthew  Maunsell,  his  Friend  and 

Follower.      Wherein  also  is  set  forth  much 

of  the  Narrator's  Private  History 

BY 

JAMES    BARNES     i'^loQ^   ^  \'\'3 i 

Author  of  "Yankee  Ships  and  Yankee  Sailors,'*   "  For 
King  or  Country,"  **A  Loyal  Traitor,"  etc. 

Illustrated  by  Carlton  T.  Chapman 


THE   MACMILLAN   COMPANY 

LONDON:  MACMILLAN  &  CO.,  Ltd. 
1899 

All  rights  rtstrvtd 


Copyright,  1899, 
By  The  MacmiUan  Company. 


Nornuood  Press 

J.  S.  Cusbing  &  Co. — Berwick  &  Smith 

Norwood  Mass.  U.S.A. 


To  EDWARD  SIMMONS 

WHOSE  FRIENDSHIP  IS  WORTH  HAV- 
ING AND  WHOSE  ENCOURAGEMENT 
IS    WORTH    REMEMBERING      .       .      . 

This  Volume  is  Dedicated 


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Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2007  with  funding  from 

IVIicrosoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/dral<ehisyeomentrOObarnricli 


Contents 

Chapter 

Page 

Introduction            ......         xi 

I. 

Concerning  Myself 

I 

II. 

The  Mysterious  Beggar  . 

.        i6 

III. 

The  Black  Order  . 

.        36 

IV. 

England        .... 

45 

V. 

Deserted       .... 

54 

VI. 

New  Friends 

61 

VII. 

Wherein  I  join  the  Treasure-seekers 

74 

VIII. 

The  Rendezvous    . 

83 

IX. 

I  discover  a  Relative 

95 

X. 

At  the  Spanish  Gates 

102 

XI. 

Nombre  de  Dios    . 

108 

XII. 

An  Exchange  of  Courtesies 

124 

XIII. 

My  Uncle  Alleyn  joins  Our  Party     . 

135 

XIV. 

Roger  Truman  and  Thomas  Moone 

140 

XV. 

The  Captain's  Plot 

^M 

XVI. 

My  Uncle's  Tale  . 

155 

XVII. 

Counted  Out         .... 

169 

XVIII. 

Against  Orders       .... 

174 

XIX. 

We  pay  the  Piper 

184 

XX. 

Dark  Days    ...... 

190 

XXI. 

The  Lady  with  the  Pearls 

200 

Vlll 


Contents 


Chapter 

Page 

XXII. 

A  Venture  and  Adventure  .          .          .          .212 

XXIII. 

In  Command  of  a  Cartel     . 

.      225 

XXIV. 

The  Return  of  the  Wanderers 

.      239 

XXV. 

The  Raid 

.      248 

XXVI. 

The  Captain  saves  Us 

.      261 

XXVII. 

The  Parting  of  the  Company 

.      271 

XXVIII. 

Time  passes     . 

.      281 

XXIX. 

Cadiz      .... 

.      293 

XXX. 

The  Attack 

.      306 

XXXI. 

On  Spanish  Soil 

.      316 

XXXII. 

Old  Friends     .          .          .          , 

•      330 

XXXIII. 

An  Ancient  Enemy    . 

•      342 

XXXIV. 

The  Walled  Garden  . 

•     355 

XXXV. 

The  Padre's  Messenger 

.     366 

XXXVI. 

Drake's  Landing 

375 

XXXVII. 

The  Capture  of  the  Cape    , 

385 

XXXVIII. 

The  Armada     .... 

396 

List  of  Illustrations 

"  Out  toward  the  setting  sun  "       ....    Frontispiece 

Opposite  Page 

"  We  could  not  fight  against  such  head  winds  and  so  bad  a 

sea'*         .         .  .  .  ,  .  .  •47 

The  pest  ship  on  the  sands    .  .  .  .  .  .233 

The  fight  began  to  be  warm  .  .  .  .  .254 

"We  boarded  and  took  her "         .  .  .  .  .      270 

"  The  fight  was  now  up  near  the  entrance  of  the  inner 

harbor'* 313 

"We  fastened  to  the  Spaniard's  sides'*  .  .  .  .     406 

"A  great  vessel  with  a  yellow  stripe  **    .  .         .  .412 


INTRODUCTION 

"  My  dear  Norman,"  wrote  Basil  Ennis  to  his 
friend,  Norman  Coolidge,  fellow  at  Oxford,  "  I  at 
last  redeem  my  promise  and  send  you  the  old  Ms. 
that  I  told  you  belonged  to  my  friends  in  North- 
amptonshire. It  was  found,  as  all  these  old  papers 
should  be  found,  you  know,  in  an  oak  chest  in  the 
library  at  Highcourt  —  too  bad  that  it  was  not  just 
newly  discovered  in  a  secret  drawer  and  I  the  dis- 
coverer; but  the  fact  is  that  the  existence  of  the 
paper  had  been  known  to  the  family  for  a  long  time, 
but  you  understand  how  careless  some  families  are 
in  matters  of  this  character.  It  requires  the  loving 
and  knowing  ken  of  such  grubby  old  bookworms  as 
you  and  myself  to  detect  the  value  of  a  possession 
like  this.  I  have  copied  it  out  (a  labour  of  love 
that  has  nearly  cost  me  my  eyesight),  and  submit 
it  to  you  for  your  critical  judgment.  I  have  com- 
pared it  with  all  the  well-known  published  accounts 
of  Hakluyt,  Purchas,  Fletcher  and  Pretty,  and 
'  Drake  redivivus,*  and  find  that  it  agrees  with 
most   of  the   accepted,  and  perhaps   throws  some 


xii  Introduction 

light  upon  details  that  the  over-cautious  had  ex- 
cluded. You  remember  how  I  once  said  that 
those  fine  old  stories  were  too  good  to  have  been 
invented !  I  have  not  changed  it  except  here  and 
there  in  a  sentence  perhaps,  and  in  the  spelling, 
which  is  fearful  and  wonderful.  As  you  see,  it 
is  written  quite  simply,  in  a  way ;  as  those  old 
Johnnies  used  to  write.  It  is  rather  interesting  to 
see  how  Sir  Matthew  has  tried  at  times  to  get  away 
from  his  own  story,  —  I  wish  very  often  he  hadn*t, 
—  in  order  to  make  a  record  of  historical  events 
and  to  chronicle  the  doings  and  sayings  of  another 
man  —  an  immortal  man,  whose  fame  will  never 
die,  by  the  Lord  Harry  !  as  long  as  an  English 
heart  beats  in  an  English  bosom  !  Oh  !  brave  old 
Francis  Drake !  Can't  you  see  him  on  his  sturdy 
bow  legs  walking  those  steep  quarter-decks,  with 
the  light  in  his  blue  eyes  as  he  sees  the  Armada 
come  crowding  up  the  Channel  ?  And  to  think 
that  one  of  our  armoured  cruisers  could  send  the 
whole  great  show  to  the  bottom  (the  way  one  might 
sink  floating  bottles,  one  after  another,  with  a  rifle). 
Isn't  it  a  shame  that  the  old  days  have  gone !  I 
suppose  you  will  say  no ;  but  if  you  do,  you  don't 
believe  it.  But  to  return  to  the  Ms.  It  had  no 
title,  and  so  I  have  suggested  one;  perhaps  you 
can  help  me  with  a  better.  As  you  read  you  will 
see  that  Sir  Matthew  cannot,  for  the  sweet  life  of 


Introduction  xiii 

him,  keep  his  personal  history  entirely  out ;  it  will 
creep  in,  as  it  were,  despite  his  determined  efforts. 
There  is  a  good  deal  of  *  ego  in  his  cosmos^  — witness 
his  introduction  of  himself.  But  more  anon  when 
I  see  you,  and  we  will  talk  over  printers,  etc.  I 
have  carte  blanche  to  do  what  I  like,  but  I  wish 
thy  counsel,  friend.  The  old  portrait  you  can  see 
any  time  you  are  in  this  part  of  the  country. 

"  Yours  faithfully  ever, 

"BASIL   ENNIS. 

"  P.S.  Some  people  nowadays  do  not  appreciate 
their  ancestors,  do  they  ?  Search  the  Oxford 
Mss. ;  you  may  find  something  there  about  this 
hardy  old  sailor." 


DRAKE    AND    HIS    YEOMEN 


CHAPTER   I 

CONCERNING    MYSELF 

RULY,  if  the  matter  should  be  looked 
into  with  diligence,  it  would  be  found 
that  men's  callings  in  life  are  not  selected 
after  a  manner  of  haphazard ;  neither 
are  they  forced  by  circumstance  altogether,  but 
come  more  often  from  the  effect  of  long  inheri- 
tance. Why  I  should  have  been  a  sailor  is  plain 
to  see,  although  at  one  time  I  was  far  from  it 
beyond  doubt,  destined  for  something  less  or  some- 
thing greater;  and  this  leads  me  to  tell,  even  at 
the  risk  of  being  tiresome,  a  Httle  of  my  birth 
and  parentage. 

My  forefathers  were  men  who  had  to  do  with 
ships  and  deep  water,  and  their  names  are  not  un- 
known in  the  records  of  England ;  for  an  ancestor 
of  mine,  on  my  father's  side,  was  Admiral  of  the 
North  and  West  —  Richard  Childerbow,  who  held 
the  post  under  Henry  the   Fourth  ;  his   daughter 


2  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

married  a  Captain  Maunsell,  who  commanded  a 
great  ship ;  and  his  son,  a  famous  mariner,  was  my 
grandfather.  I  had  uncles  who  served  with  Lord 
John  Russell  in  the  reign  of  Henry  the  Eighth, 
and  my  own  father  saw  service  as  a  young  man  in 
the  fleet  of  Baron  Clinton,  Admiral  of  England, 
Ireland,  and  Aquitaine.  So  there  must  be  a  drop 
of  the  brine  flowing  in  my  blood,  for  well  do  I 
remember  how  the  smell  of  it  affected  my  nostrils 
and  how  the  first  sight  of  the  broad  waters  lifted 
my  heart. 

I  was  born  in  troublous  times,  and  I  was  destined 
to  Hve  my  early  life  feeling  the  effects  of  them. 
My  father.  Sir  John  Maunsell,  was  of  a  Northamp- 
ton family,  well-to-do,  and  possessing  wide  acres, 
although  most  of  the  estates  that  he  inherited,  and 
that  are  now  mine,  at  this  writing,  were  in  Ireland, 
not  far  from  the  Boyne  water.  After  leaving  the 
sea  my  father  made  a  marriage,  considered  by  some 
beneath  his  quality,  although  the  lady  was  of  honest 
parentage  and  comely  of  face  and  figure.  By  her 
he  had  one  son,  [born  shortly  before  her  death,]  who 
was  named  John.  But  neither  my  half-brother  nor 
my  father  do  I  remember,  for  if  I  ever  saw  them, 
it  must  have  been  while  I  lay  in  my  nurse's  arms, 
— a  sickly  infant,  I  am  told,  —  with  apparently  small 
chance  to  live  long  or  to  make  a  fight  of  it. 

I    was    the  child  of  a  second    marriage    and  — 


Concerning  Myself  3 

without  pride  —  my  father's  lineage,  which  was 
good,  as  I've  said,  was  nothing  to  the  emblazoned 
records  of  my  mother's  family.  She  was  Spanish 
of  the  greatest  line  in  Spain,  and  akin  to  those  who 
count  themselves  akin  to  royalty  :  — 

Donna  Maria,  the  only  daughter  of  Miguel  de 
Valdez,  and  a  sister  of  Don  Martinez  de  Valdez,  an 
admiral  afterward  of  King  Philip,  and  of  whom  I 
shall  tell,  and  a  niece  of  Juan  Martinez  de  Racalde, 
another  great  sailor,  and  of  him,  too,  I  shall  speak 
further  on. 

The  Maunsells  were  stanch  Catholics,  and,  dur- 
ing the  reign  of  Queen  Mary,  people  of  some 
importance,  and  it  was  at  court  that  my  father  met 
his  second  wife,  who  was  on  a  visit  to  England  at 
the  moment.  Now,  while  again  and  again,  we  must 
think  it  strange  that  Spanish  intrigue  had  gained 
so  much  power  in  our  country,  it  is  a  fact  that  at 
the  time  of  the  King  of  Spain's  proposals  to  Queen 
Mary  the  steersmen  of  the  state  in  England  were 
nobles  of  the  Spanish  court ;  but  so  much  for  all 
of  this,  to  come  back  to  myself  once  more  :  — 

I  was  born  on  the  loth  day  of  November,  1556, 
and  it  was  on  the  17th  of  this  same  month,  two 
years  later  as  every  one  knows,  that  Queen  Mary 
died,  and  her  reign  had  been  marked  by  trouble 
for  her  subjects. 

I  was  told  long  afterward  that  my  father,  who 


4  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

was  in  great  concern  for  the  Catholic  cause,  was 
one  close  to  the  ministers  of  the  court,  although  he 
held  no  position  that  could  be  named  important, 
and  he  counselled  concealment  of  the  Queen's  death 
for  the  good  of  the  faith,  but  such  things  are  hard 
to  keep  secret,  and  but  four  hours  sufficed  for  it 
to  leak  out,  and  then  both  houses  being  informed 
at  once,  after  a  momentous  discussion  was  our 
great  Sovereign  Queen  chosen  by  joint  resolu- 
tion; and  this  was  for  the  glory  and  good  of  the 
nation. 

Two  days  later  she  had  left  Hatfield,  but  it  was 
not  until  the  third  and  twentieth  of  January  that  she 
made  her  public  entry  through  London.  I  speak  of 
this  tjecause  it  was  that  day  my  father  died,  of  a 
broken  heart,  it  was  said,  because  he  knew  the  set 
purpose  of  the  Queen  was  to  restore  the  Protestant 
religion,  and  he  observed  the  temper  of  the  people. 
And  now  the  Queen  soon  after  her  coronation  showed 
the  strength  of  her  purpose.  Though  during  the 
reign  of  her  sister  she  had  declared  herself  a  stead- 
fast Catholic,  [and  it  was  known  she  had  confessed 
ofttimes  to  Cardinal  Pole  through  fear  of  death,] 
she  had  been  but  guiding  herself  as  a  ship  in  tem- 
pestuous weather,  to  escape  destruction. 

The  alterations  now  made  in  her  councils  and 
her  ministry  and  their  transactions  afterward,  proved 
that  she  was  bent  on   promoting  the  reformation, 


Concerning  Myself  5 

and  the  lives  of  the  Catholics  were  soon  destined 
to  be  hard  ones  again  in  their  turn.  Those  who 
had  no  immediate  landed  interest  or  holdings  found 
ere  long  that  it  behooved  them  best  to  leave  the 
country.  And  so  my  mother,  as  soon  as  she  was 
able,  (for  her  illness  had  been  lingering,  and  for  a 
long  time  it  left  an  impression  on  her  mind,)  took 
first  chance  offered  to  set  sail  for  France.  She  took 
me  with  her,  I  being  yet  in  the  care  of  my  foster- 
mother  ;  but  I  do  not  think  that  I  was  of  much 
concern  to  any  one.  From  France  we  took  a  small 
coasting  vessel  and  landed  at  Cadiz.  And  on  this 
voyage,  I  have  been  told,  I  was  so  ill  as  to  have 
been  given  up  more  than  once  for  dead. 

With  us  had  escaped  an  old  servitor  of  the  fam- 
ily, a  person  who  had  so  improved  his  mind  and 
opportunities  as  to  have  been  more  of  a  friend  and 
companion  to  my  father,  than  a  varlet,  though  most 
humble  of  origin.  Selwyn  Powys  was  this  man's 
name,  and  had  he  been  of  the  cloth  or  born  to 
position,  a  person  indeed,  who  would  have  left  im- 
pression of  his  mind  and  life.  I  owe  more  to  him 
than  I  could  state  in  short  writing,  for  he  moulded 
my  thoughts  to  take  the  direction  of  the  right  and 
shaped  my  destiny  by  his  teaching — God  rest  him, 
I  am  grateful. 

My  first  recollection  is  of  a  brilliant  day,  a  young 
companion,  and  a  fountain  in  a  garden  filled  with 


6  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

sunlight  and  flower  scents.  I  saw  many  such  days, 
the  fountain  may  be  still  plashing,  and  my  com- 
panion, who  is  now  dead,  was  once  within  arm's 
reach  of  a  throne.  For  my  mother  had  rejoined 
her  own  people,  and  I  was  brought  up  as  a  child 
among  grandees  and  nobles,  who  lived  at  the 
courts  of  King  Philip,  whose  hand  our  maiden 
Queen  had  spurned.  I,  beyond  peradventure,  was 
out  of  place  in  these  surroundings ;  for,  first,  I  dis- 
covered that  I  was  not  like  my  young  companions; 
not  so  much  from  the  way  they  treated  me  or 
from  what  I  was  told,  as  for  the  reason  that  I  was 
so  different  in  my  outward  appearance.  Having 
weathered  the  shoals  of  my  early  years'  existence 
with  great  difficulty,  it  seemed  that  nature  was  will- 
ing to  reward  me  for  so  doing,  for  I  gained  in 
health  and  strength  until  I  was  half  again  the  size 
of  the  others  of  my  age,  whom  I  encountered  in 
my  games  and  play.  I  spoke  Spanish  and  knew 
not  but  that  I  was  a  Spaniard  until  my  eighth  year ; 
it  was  then  that  I  began  to  notice  that  my  hair  was 
exceedingly  light  in  color,  while  that  of  most  of  my 
companions  was  black  and  heavy ;  my  eyes,  too, 
were  gray,  which  was  unusual  in  Spain — I  was  all 
English.  [And  there  is  a  prejudice  against  this  in 
other  countries.]  I  saw  more  of  my  good  nurse 
Martha  and  Selwyn  Powys  than  any  one  else ;  but 
there  was  a  priest  that  was  much  with  my  mother 


Concerning  Myself  •  7 

and  was  now  attached  to  her  retinue,  a  man  that  I 
recall  yet  with  instant  recollection  of  the  fear  and 
distrust  in  which  I  held  him  from  the  very  first. 
He  was  Padre  Alonzo  Garcia  of  the  Order  of  St. 
Joseph,  lean  and  dark,  with  the  eyes  of  a  ferret 
and  the  beak  of  a  bird  of  prey.  His  voice,  too, 
I  can  recollect  to  this  day,  cautious  and  smooth, 
modulated,  and  sympathetic,  if  need  be  —  the 
voice  of  the  lip-server.  To  him  I  was  especially 
confided  by  my  mother's  orders  at  the  time  I  began 
to  think  and  reason,  and  this  I  did  not  fancy,  for  up 
to  that  time,  as  I  say,  I  had  been  left  to  the  charge 
of  Selwyn  Powys  and  my  foster-mother.  Now 
they  kept  away  from  me. 

Well,  one  fine  morning,  when  I  had  passed  my 
ninth  birthday,  the  growing  dislike,  nay,  hatred, 
that  I  had  formed  for  Padre  Alonzo,  took  definite 
shape.  [How  well  do  children  know  those  whom 
they  can  trust !]  It  happened  thus  wise:  The  holy 
man  had  been  instructing  me  in  Latin,  and  I,  hav- 
ing found  out  that  he  thought  me  stupid,  decided  to 
play  it  thus,  as  my  tasks  would  be  lighter.  His 
duties  were  not  easy ;  I  was  often  surly  with  him 
and  would  be  spite-dumb  in  his  presence.  Some- 
thing happened  —  what,  I  do  not  remember ;  it  may 
be  that  I  tore  up  my  written  exercise,  mayhap  some- 
thing else ;  be  it  what  you  will,  it  made  the  priest 
angry,  and  he  said  hotly :  "  You  English  cub  of  a 


8  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

heretic  nation !  had  your  mother  not  made  the  mis- 
take of  marrying  in  your  cursed  country,  I  would 
have  been  spared  the  trouble  of  trying  to  teach  so 
dull  a  clod  as  thou  art." 

This  would  not  have  affected  me  and  I  would 
have  let  it  go,  had  it  not  been  for  the  speech  of  Sel- 
wyn  Powys,  who  at  that  moment  happened  to  be 
going  by.  Pausing,  he  remonstrated  with  the  Padre, 
saying  somewhat  hotly :  "  Holy  father,  the  boy  is 
fair  and  like  those  in  his  own  country,  but  that  he  is 
English  is  no  reason  for  his  being  reviled  —  mark 
ye  that ;  nor  is  he  of  heretic  birth,  for  such  is  a 
lying  speech  without  cause  or  reason  ! " 

And  now  I  recall  to  my  mind  that  there  were  some 
more  words,  and  that  I  was  the  subject  of  them,  and 
then  my  mother  entered.  But  before  she  did,  the 
priest  had  said  something  to  Powys  that  made  him 
cringe  —  what  it  was  I  had  not  caught ;  but  at  all 
events,  his  face  went  white  and  red  and  white  again, 
while  the  other  glared  at  him  fiercely  under  his  great 
eyebrows  and  shook  a  threatening  and  triumphant 
finger.  But  the  presence  of  the  Marquisa  —  for  that 
was  my  mother's  title  by  inheritance  —  put  an  end  to 
the  scene ;  Padre  Garcia  took  me  by  the  arm,  and 
with  his  face  all  smiling  led  me  up  to  her.  Would 
that  I  could  call  to  mind  any  tenderness  that  my 
mother  ever  showed  me  ;  I  did  not  know,  then,  that 
it  had  been  years  before  her  dislike  had  permitted 


Concerning  Myself  9 

her  to  be  at  ease  with  me.  She  might  not  have 
been  able  to  help  her  feelings ;  but  I  think  that  I 
had  begun  by  that  time  to  notice  them.  Yes,  verily 
I  believe  I  was  often  hurt  by  her  unresponsiveness 
to  my  caresses. 

"  Don  Marteo  will  not  study,  and  hath  developed 
a  contrary  disposition,"  said  the  Padre,  with  a  hiss 
that  was  soft  and  yet  to  me  threatening.  "  He  has 
been  subject  to  bad  influence  that  should  be  removed, 
and  I  will  see  to  it." 

I  felt  a  new  feeling  welling  into  my  heart ;  I  had 
often  known  short  outbursts  of  temper,  if  things  had 
gone  wrong  with  me,  but  now  this  was  something 
more,  —  an  angry  passion  of  distrust  and  hate.  I 
looked  up  and  my  eyes  met  his. 

"  I  shall  be  gentle  with  him,"  went  on  the  holy 
man ;  "  he  shall  be  taught  and  led,  by  kind  words,  to 
see  his  errors  and  to  regard  the  truth." 

But  he  must  have  read  my  mind  and  seen  the 
thoughts  thereof,  or  mayhap  he  felt  the  heat  of  my 
body,  for  my  anger  had  set  me  all  on  fire :  one  hand 
of  his  rested  on  my  shoulder,  and  the  other  held  my 
arm.  I  felt  his  fingers  closing ;  at  first  slowly,  with 
a  pressure  as  if  admonishing  me  to  be  silent ;  but 
stronger  it  grew,  even  as  he  spoke,  until  the  pain 
was  such  I  could  hardly  stand  it  —  I  thought  his 
nails  would  be  meeting  through  my  flesh  !  But,  child 
though  I  was,  I  would  not  for  my  life  let  him  per- 


lo  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

ceive  that  I  felt  it,  and  I  looked  him  squarely  in  the 
eyes  though  my  sight  was  blurred  and  red  spots 
danced  across  my  vision. 

"  Be  a  dutiful  son,"  said  my  mother,  in  her  languid 
way,  "and  obey  the  holy  father."  To  this  I  replied 
nothing,  but  cast  a  quick  look  round  the  chamber. 
Powys  had  left  it,  and  without  further  word  my 
mother  did  also.  Scowling  the  priest  half  flung 
me  into  the  depths  of  a  great  chair  and  strode  out 
into  the  hall. 

Now  I  think  we  remember  events,  not  so  much 
from  what  we  did,  as  from  how  we  felt  at  the  time 
of  doing,  and  this  day  I  have  marked  for  this  reason. 
I  followed  the  Padre  out  into  the  hall ;  he  had  de- 
scended but  a  few  steps  of  the  stair.  Having  no 
warning  of  my  coming,  he  was  unprepared,  and  I 
struck  him  with  all  my  small  strength  full  in  the 
face !  It  could  not  have  hurt  him  much,  but  he 
whirled  and  caught  me,  and  the  first  thing  I  knew  I 
was  dangling  head  downward  over  the  marble  court 
below. 

But  the  priest  did  not  seem  to  be  angry,  he 
laughed  softly  to  himself,  —  the  cruellest,  most  bitter 
laugh,  God  grant  I  shall  ever  hear  (I  heard  it  once 
again) ;  it  was  the  laugh  of  one  who  enjoys  the  suf- 
fering of  others  —  the  inquisitor,  not  only  calloused 
but  delighted  at  the  quivering  of  anguished  flesh. 
He  must  have  been  strong  in  his  sinews,  for  after 


Concerning  Myself  1 1 

shaking  me,  —  and  this  time  I  believe  I  did  let  forth 
a  cry,  —  he  lifted  me  over  and  laid  me  down  on 
the  stairway.  I  was  helpless  to  move,  the  whole 
place  seemed  swimming,  the  great  arch  overhead 
swaying  and  unfolding  like  the  main  course  of  a 
galleon  !  But  soon  I  was  to  witness  something. 
A  voice  spoke  above  me  and  there  stood  Selwyn 
Powys ! 

"  What  have  you  been  doing  to  the  boy  ?  what 
have  ye  done  to  my  young  master  ? "  cried  he,  and 
his  voice  grated  and  croaked. 

"  Hanging  him  by  the  heels  for  the  benefit  of 
his  manners,  as  I  will  hang  thee  for  the  benefit  of 
thy  soul,"  said  the  priest,  warningly.  "  Come,  thou 
hast  betrayed  thyself!  Betray  thy  companions  and 
escape  the  thumb-screws,  though  by  St.  Jago  I 
promise  thy  neck  shall  feel  the  steel !  Come,  here- 
tic!" he  snarled.     "Speak,  I  command  thee." 

Now  Selwyn  Powys  was  not  a  young  man,  nor 
was  he,  to  appearance,  one  of  much  bulk  or  strength. 
But  I  came  to  know  the  build  of  such  in  after  days 
and  to  judge  them  at  a  glance.  Small  men  perhaps, 
but  with  thick  necks  and  big  shoulders,  sturdy 
limbed,  with  legs  somewhat  bowed  —  the  men  for 
lifting  and  heaving  on  the  ropes  —  I  learned  to 
know  them.  There  came  a  fierce,  strange  sound, 
half  groan,  half  curse,  and  he  was  at  the  priest's 
lean  throat !     There  came  another  sound,  short  and 


12  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

horrid,  like  the  breaking  of  a  bone,  as  they  swayed 
over  the  stone  railing,  and  then  with  a  quick  heave 
and  a  thrust,  the  priest's  body  shot  out  and  fell. 
Down  it  went  like  a  sack  of  grain,  down  on  the 
marble  steps  at  the  foot  of  the  landing. 

I  had  closed  my  eyes  as  I  saw  the  figure  in  the 
cassock  disappear,  and  now  through  the  half-open 
lids  I  could  see  that  Selwyn  was  bending  over  me. 
He  was  panting  hard  and  praying,  but  after  ascer- 
taining that  I  was  not  much  hurt  he  glanced  about 
him  with  a  gesture  and  look  of  sudden  fear.  Then 
he  picked  me  up  in  his  arms  as  if  I  weighed  noth- 
ing at  all  and  carried  me  back  to  the  room  where  I 
took  my  lessons  from  the  priest.  I  had  really  been 
made  faint  by  fright,  and  there  was  no  dissembling 
in  my  weakness.  But  now  I  am  going  to  record  a 
strange  thing :  Though,  after  a  lapse  of  time,  we 
met  in  close  companionship  under  circumstances 
unusual,  Selwyn  Powys  never  learned  from  my  lips 
that  I  had  seen  him  attempt  to  do  a  man  to  death ! 

Although  the  fall  and  scuffling  must  have  made 
some  noise,  no  one  had  appeared,  and  this  is  right 
easily  understood,  for  the  staircase  is  at  the  end  of 
a  long  corridor.  We  had  few  servitors  and  no 
guests.  Powys,  as  soon  as  I  could  lift  my  head, 
stood  me  upon  my  feet  and  brushed  my  clothes 
with  his  hand,  as  a  nurse  might  treat  a  child  that 
had    tripped    and    fallen.      At    the    same    time    he 


Concerning  Myself  13 

straightened  out  the  lacing  of  his  doublet  that 
almost  had  been  torn  apart  in  the  struggle ;  this 
done,  and  no  one  yet  appearing,  he  took  me  by  the 
arm  and  together  we  passed  into  another  room  and 
down  a  narrow  staircase  into  the  garden,  where  he 
began  to  talk  to  me  about  the  flowers,  for  he  was  a 
gardener  of  no  mean  merit.  I  could  not  display 
much  interest ;  but  he  did  not  remark  upon  it,  and 
we  were  thus  employed  when  there  came  a  cry,  and 
one  of  the  maidservants  rushed  forth,  calling  in 
great  anguish  for  Selwyn  to  return,  and  that 
Padre  Alonzo  had  been  killed.  We  hurried  back 
into  the  palace  and  found  that  they  had  carried  the 
body  into  one  of  the  rooms  in  the  lower  floor  and 
placed  it  on  a  bed.  My  mother  was  there  with 
some  of  the  females,  and  breathlessly  one  of  them 
informed  us  that  a  man  had  been  sent  down  into 
the  town  to  fetch  a  surgeon. 

"  Is  he  dead  ?  "  questioned  my  mother  of  Powys. 
There  was  no  mark  on  the  priest's  thin  face,  but  he 
lay  there  like  an  effigy,  still  and  white.  His  heavy 
cowl  had  broke  the  force  of  his  fall  and  prevented 
his  pate  from  being  cracked.  But  the  great  crucifix 
that  dangled  about  his  neck  had  been  broken,  and 
what  was  left  of  it  lay  on  his  breast.  "  Is  he  dead?" 
asked  my  mother  again,  and  Powys,  with  his  face  as 
white  as  alabaster,  laid  his  ear  against  the  other's 
heart. 


14  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

"  No,  Donna  Marquisa  !  "  he  said  ;  "  he  lives  ! 
It  is  no  doubt  that  the  holy  man  suffered  from  a 
vertigo  and  fell  o'er  the  balustrade." 

There  came  a  slight  movement  from  the  figure 
upon  the  couch,  and  Father  Alonzo's  deep-set  eyes 
opened.  There  was  sense  in  them  !  his  lips  quiv- 
ered as  if  he  was  trying  to  frame  words  that  would 
not  come  —  his  mind  was  alert,  but  his  body  for 
the  time  was  dead  and  useless.  Such  malignancy 
never  have  I  seen  as  that  with  which  he  regarded 
Powys.  The  latter  shrank  back  fearsomely.  Be- 
fore many  minutes  the  leech  had  arrived,  and  he 
pronounced  that  Padre  Alonzo  would  live,  but  that 
his  body  might  remain  dead,  for  his  backbone  had 
been  injured  —  and  that  affects  the  powers  which 
govern  action. 

When  this  verdict  had  been  reached,  once  more 
the  priest's  lips  moved,  but  no  sound  came  forth. 
It  was  plain  that  he  could  hear  what  passed,  and 
that  he  was  endeavoring  to  frame  words  without  re- 
sult. There  was  nothing  to  be  done,  and  I  would 
not  have  lifted  a  finger,  so  I  slipped  away.  When 
I  left  the  chamber  I  found  Powys  in  the  hallway. 
He  grasped  me  in  his  arms  and  kissed  me  on  the 
forehead.  Then  he  picked  up  a  long  cloak  from  a 
chair,  went  out  the  door,  and  that  was  the  last  I  saw 
of  Master  Powys  for  many  long  months. 

In  the  evening  some  of  the  priest's  sombre-clad 


Concerning  Myself  Ij 

companions  came  and  carried  him  away  bodily  on 
their  shoulders,  [still  lying  upon  the  couch  where  he 
had  been  placed,]  and  it  was  a  long  time  before  I  set 
eyes  on  him  either;  but  of  this  there  is  more  to 
come,  that  shall  be  told  in  due  order. 


CHAPTER   II 

THE    MYSTERIOUS    BEGGAR 

HE  disappearance  of  my  old  friend  of 
course  excited  comment  and  questioning 
at  first,  and  then  when  the  surprise  was 
over  all  became  known.  Padre  Alonzo's 
speech  had  returned  to  him  and  he  had  de- 
nounced Master  Powys,  not  only  as  a  man  who 
had  intended  to  do  murder,  but  as  a  heretic  and 
unbeliever,  which  was  much  worse.  Great  search 
was  made  for  him ;  but  months  went  by  and  there 
came  no  word,  or  inkling  of  his  whereabouts,  and  no 
one  spoke  his  name  in  my  hearing.  As  the  Padre 
lay  warped  and  twisted  at  his  monastery,  he  both- 
ered me  no  more,  and  I  resumed  my  studies  under 
the  care  of  a  young  Jesuit  who,  although  possess- 
ing an  able  mind,  was  of  indolent  habit  and  allowed 
my  own  will  to  work  its  way;  so  without  much 
trouble  we  managed  to  pass  the  time.  But  I  made 
progress,  nevertheless,  and  was,  I  dare  say,  as  much 
advanced  in  studies  as  most  boys  of  my  age.  I 
spoke  French  fairly,  Spanish  with  a  pure  accent, 
I  knew  Latin  and  Greek  (the  latter  not  much). 
But  I  was  satisfactory. 

i6 


The  Mysterious  Beggar  17 

My  mother  had  forbade  either  Powys  or  my 
nurse  speaking  to  me  in  English ;  nevertheless  I 
had  picked  up  not  a  little  knowledge  of  my  native 
tongue  from  hearing  them  use  it  (my  mother  spoke 
it  with  difficulty  and  detested  it  heartily),  but  now  all 
this  was  changed.  My  new  instructor  was  a  wise 
man  in  some  ways,  a  Frenchman  by  birth,  and  he 
had  lived  some  time  in  London  during  the  reign  of 
Queen  Mary.  So  it  was  his  advice  that  I  should 
learn  to  speak  what  might  be  of  some  use  to  me,  and 
we  began  to  talk  and  read  in  the  language  which  by 
all  rights  was  my  inheritance.  But  I  soon  surpassed 
him,  for  I  had  the  means  of  practice  that  he  had  not. 
My  foster-mother's  tongue  being  now  unloosened 
by  permission,  —  for  she  had  never  learned  to  well 
master  the  Spanish  lingo, —  I  made  a  great  prog- 
ress. In  fact,  I  would  search  her  out  at  all  times, 
and  as  she  loved  me  as  were  I  her  own  and  as  I 
loved  her,  deep  grew  the  affection  between  us. 
The  Marquisa  I  saw  less  and  less  of;  for  although 
she  had  many  admirers  (I  had  met  plenty  of  great 
people  who  are  of  no  moment  in  this  telling),  there 
had  been  no  favorite  suitor  until  at  this  time,  when 
Don  Pedro  de  Vertendonna,  an  exceedingly  haughty 
and  handsome  man,  aspired  for  her  hand.  They 
said  that  in  all  Spain  there  were  but  three  richer 
men.  Sooth,  he  was  bedight  with  jewels  and  gold 
and  a  brave  sight  to  see !     But  he  scarcely  ever  took 


1 8  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

notice  of  me  and  regretted  doubtless  my  existence  with 
all  his  heart.  Digit o  Monslrari,  I  was  a  reminder  he 
did  not  Hke. 

After  the  marriage,  which  was  celebrated  with 
great  pomp  in  the  big  cathedral  at  Cadiz,  near  which, 
I  might  here  say,  lay  the  castle  and  estate  at  which 
we  lived,  we  all  moved  to  Valliera,  and  I  came  to 
reside  at  the  palace  of  my  stepfather. 

I  was  now  in  my  thirteenth  year,  large  and  strong, 
with  the  tendency  to  be  so  rough  in  my  sport  that 
my  boy  companions,  who  were  few  (but  exceedingly 
noble),  avoided  me,  and  I  was  often  complained  of, 
lectured,  and  punished.  This  led  me  into  a  somewhat 
solitary  manner.  I  can  say  of  a  truth  that  I  did 
not  know  much  happiness  in  those  days.  But  when 
I  was  not  at  books,  I  was  consumed  with  a  fierce 
desire  for  action  and  adventure.  My  exercise  with 
the  sword  (for  it  were  part  of  my  education)  was  a 
great  delight ;  my  wrist  was  strong  and  my  eye  quick. 
The  old  guardsman  who  instructed  me  often  cried 
out  with  pleasure ;  but  this  alone  did  not  give  me 
sufficient  outlet.  One  of  the  old  servants  of  the 
house  had  been  a  seafarer  and  had  sailed  in  the 
Spanish  Main,  and  many  a  long  yarn  did  he  spin  for 
me,  and  many  a  night  did  I  lie  awake  thinking  them 
over.  He  made  me  a  little  gallease  that  I  used  to 
sail  to  wonderful  far  countries  in  the  fountain.     But 


The  Mysterious   Beggar  19 

imaginings  alone  did  not  fill  out  my  nature ;  I  de- 
lighted to  climb  to  the  topmost  branches  of  a  tall 
poplar  tree  that  lifted  high  above  the  others  in  the 
grove,  and  I  made  my  way  up  the  sheer  face 
of  the  great  wall  that  surrounded  the  garden,  with 
nothing  but  the  crevices  to  help  me.  By  means 
of  a  vine  I  clomb  from  the  edge  of  this  wall 
where  it  joined  the  battlements,  to  the  window 
of  a  little  apartment  next  my  own.  There  was  not 
a  corner  nor  a  secret  passage  (and  the  place  was  full 
of  them)  that  was  not  known  to  me.  The  wall  to 
which  I  referred  looked  over  a  narrow  street,  to  the 
north.  Now  the  houses  of  the  poor  encroach  upon 
those  of  the  mighty  in  Spain,  and  a  hovel  may  be 
but  a  stone's  throw  from  the  postern  gate  of  a 
grandee.  Well,  I  stood  upon  the  wall  one  day,  with 
a  sheer  fall  of  twenty  feet  below  me,  and  looked  down 
into  this  alley.  Off  at  the  corner  I  could  perceive 
some  children  playing,  brown  skinned,  half  naked, 
and  despised  ones ;  but  happy  for  all  of  it,  and  I 
longed  to  be  with  them,  for  I  was,  of  a  truth,  though 
neglected,  a  prisoner  confined  to  bounds,  except  for 
the  times  that  I  left  under  escort  with  a  priest  or 
instructor  at  my  side.  O  !  How  I  hated  all  of 
them  ! 

From  watching  the  playing  children  my  glance  wan- 
dered nearer,  and  I  saw  seated  in  the  warm  sunlight 
at  the  foot  of  the  wall,  what  was  so  common  a  sight 


20  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

in  Spain,  that  it  did  not  hold  my  attention  for  even 
an  instant.  A  beggar,  a  mere  bundle  of  rags,  sat 
there  with  a  crutch  beside  him.  Though  there  were 
but  few  passers-by  on  this  lonely  street,  his  hand 
was  outstretched,  alms-asking.  He  was  so  fair  be- 
neath me,  that  it  was  easy  for  me  to  obey  the  prompt- 
ings of  a  whim,  and  taking  a  small  coin  from  my 
pocket,  I  leaned  over  and  dropped  it  so  that  it  fell 
into  his  palm.  Then  I  drew  back ;  but  I  heard  a 
voice  say  plainly  in  weak,  muffled  tones  :  — 

"  Thanks,  thanks !  from  a  poor  beggar  who  is 
both  blind  and  deaf." 

Looking  over  the  wall  again,  I  saw  a  strange  sight. 
The  cripple  —  for  that  he  appeared  to  be  also  — 
was  turning  his  head  slowly  from  left  to  right.  He 
had  pushed  up  the  bandage  on  his  forehead  a  little, 
and  from  his  attitude  I  perceived  that  he  was  both 
looking  and  listening,  and  was  perplexed  at  hearing 
no  footfall  and  perceiving  no  one.  That  he  had 
thus  betrayed  himself  was  easily  seen,  but  I  cared 
not  for  that ;  there  was  amusement  in  the  prank, 
and  I  detached  some  loose  mortar  from  the  top  of 
the  wall  and  poured  it  down  upon  his  head.  This 
disclosed  my  position ;  with  a  quick  glance  he 
looked  upward,  and  his  eyes  met  mine,  and  then 
it  was  my  turn  to  betray  astonishment.  I  knew 
those  eyes  !  (And  here  let  me  state  that  it  is  this 
part  of  the  face  that  has  to  be  hidden  if  one  wishes 


The  Mysterious  Beggar  2i 

to  avoid  recognition.  The  eyes  tell  tales,  and  it 
will  always  be  so.) 

Selwyn  Powys  sat  there  in  the  sun  beneath  me ! 
Whether  he  had  recognized  me,  or  not,  was  not 
plain  at  first;  but  all  doubt  was  soon  removed  —  I 
was  on  the  point  of  addressing  him  when  he  spoke 
my  name.  So  glad  was  I  to  see  him  that  I  was 
tempted  to  make  a  leap  of  it  at  the  risk  of  my  legs. 
I  cried  out  shrilly  that  I  knew  him.  But,  raising 
his  hands  and  lowering  his  eyes,  and  the  bandage 
at  the  same  time,  he  cautioned  me  to  silence.  Then 
he  went  on  as  if  crooning  to  himself  (speaking  in 
Spanish)  and  told  me  much  in  few  words. 

He  had  seen  me  before,  and  now  I  remembered 
that  once,  when  accompanied  by  Martha,  I  had 
seen  her  stop  and  speak  a  few  words  to  a  blind 
beggar  on  the  corner  as  she  gave  him  alms. 

"Young  master,"  he  went  on,  "  despite  how  I 
appear,  it  fareth  well  with  me  and  with  thee  also  — 
that  I  know ;  but  no  happiness  will  come  to  thee 
in  this  land,  or  from  the  life  here  about  thee.  Thou 
shouldst  go  to  thy  father's  folk  in  England,  and  it  will 
be  so,"  he  went  on.     "  Here  thou  art  out  of  place." 

"Then  take  me,  Selwyn  Powys,"  I  replied  in 
English,  "  I  will  go  with  thee." 

He  started  at  hearing  me  address  him  thus,  but 
did  not  glance  up.  Now  as  I  lay  prone  on  top  of 
the  wall  my  figure  was  all   but  concealed ;  but  to 


122  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

my  sorrow  and  chagrin  I  heard  my  name  being 
called  in  the  garden.  Some  one  was  searching  for 
me  amid  the  shrubbery.  It  was  my  study  hour 
and  I  was  late. 

"  They  call  me,"  I  said  in  a  whisper  over  the 
wall,  "but  be  here  after  dark,  and  we  will  talk 
more." 

Some  one  was  coming  down  the  street,  and  Mas- 
ter Powys  began  to  clamor  for  charity  just  as  I 
slid  down  the  surface  of  the  wall,  much  to  the  detri- 
ment of  my  hose  and  my  hands.  There  I  found 
the  servant  who  had  been  sent  out  to  search  for 
me,  and  went  back  with  him  into  the  castle.  Even 
to  Martha  I  said  nothing  this  night  of  the  meeting ; 
but  my  mind  was  far  astray  during  my  lesson.  I 
went  to  bed,  perhaps  earlier  than  my  wont,  and 
after  Martha  had  looked  in  on  me,  to  see  if  I  were 
sleeping  (a  way  she  had  of  doing,  and  of  course  to 
all  appearances  I  was),  I  waited  but  a  few  moments 
to  don  my  clothes  again,  passed  into  the  next  room 
and  opened  the  window. 

The  moon  was  high  in  the  sky,  and  though  not 
at  the  full,  it  cast  soft  shadows  and  tipped  the  silver 
leaves  of  the  poplar.  I  could  see  the  reflection  of 
the  tireless  little  fountain,  without  which  no  Spanish 
garden  is  a  garden.  Above  the  wall  I  could  see 
the  lights  twinkUng  in  the  town,  and  the  air  was  so 
still  that  I  could  hear  the  low  throbbing  notes  of  a 


The  Mysterious  Beggar  23 

theorbo,  where  some  gallant  serenaded  his  mistress. 
1  could  almost  detect  the  words  of  his  song,  although 
from  what  direction  it  came  I  knew  not.  But  I 
had  other  business  on  this  night  than  listening  to 
music  or  gazing  at  the  scenery,  and  slipping  out  of 
the  window,  I  grasped  the  vine,  and  was  soon  on 
the  wall.  Thinking  it  better  to  observe  caution,  I 
crawled  forward  on  my  hands  and  knees.  At  last 
I  reached  the  place  where  my  old  friend  had  been 
seated,  and  craning  my  neck  looked  down.  No  one 
was  there,  the  street  was  empty ;  but  at  the  corner 
rose  a  house  of  some  pretension  above  the  low, 
white  buildings.  Before  it  stood  a  figure,  and  then 
I  saw  where  the  music  came  from,  for  the  singer 
was  picking  away  at  his  great  lute,  and  evidently 
directing  his  voice  at  a  window  on  the  second  floor ; 
but  no  one  appeared,  and  he  shouldered  the  theorbo 
after  the  manner  of  an  itinerant  musician  and  walked 
directly  toward  me.  When  he  got  very  close  he 
flung  his  instrument  into  position  again,  and  trying 
the  strings  lightly  as  if  setting  them  atune,  he 
paused  directly  under  where  I  lay, and  in  the  same  key 
in  which  he  was  playing,  he  hummed  a  few  words. 
"Are  you  waiting,  friend,  are  you  waiting?*'  he 
asked  in  Spanish.  (Tra  la,  boom  boom,  went 
the  lute.)  There  was  no  use  to  tell  me  who  the 
singer  was ;  for  as  he  stepped  out  of  the  shadow  of 
the  wall    into   the   full    moonlight,   it  was    Master 


24  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

Powys  and  no  other.  I  would  have  recognized  his 
sturdy  legs  if  nothing  else  ;  but  I  would  never  have 
known  him  as  the  beggar  of  the  morning ;  though  his 
troubadour  habiliments  were  not  glaringly  new,  yet  he 
might  have  passed  for  a  wandering  minstrel  in  fair 
circumstances.  We  talked  in  whispers,  and  Selwyn 
played  a  running  obligate.  But  I  could  see  that  he 
felt  there  was  some  risk  in  this  sort  of  thing  by 
the  way  in  which  he  glanced  up  and  down  the  street. 
While  he  talked,  I  got  the  outline  of  strange 
things.  He  had  been  to  England,  having  smuggled 
himself  on  board  a  Biscayan  coaster  that  set  sail 
from  Barcelona  (boom,  boom,  tra  la),  and  he  had 
returned  to  Spain  some  three  or  four  months  pre- 
vious ;  since  which  time  he  had  been  endeavoring 
to  see  me  upon  a  mission,  he  said,  of  the  greatest 
importance  (tra  la  la,  boom,  boom) ;  but  what  it  was 
he  would  not  tell  me  that  night,  but  would  reserve 
for  some  other.  "  And  now,"  said  he,  changing  the 
tempo,  "young  master,  we  must  meet  where  we 
can  talk  in  a  way  we  cannot  here,  for  I  must  com- 
mune with  thy  inward  thoughts  and  self,  and  speak 
to  thee  of  things  that  can  only  be  arrived  at  through 
close  converse."  Then  he  went  on  to  tell  me  that 
Martha  could  be  trusted,  and  that  had  I  not  met 
him  in  the  manner  that  1  have  related,  she  was  to 
have  arranged  it.  "  But  now,"  he  said,  stopping 
his    playing   in    his    earnestness,    "  it   is    better   to 


The  Mysterious  Beggar  25 

assume  that  she  knows  nothing  ;  there  will  be  naught 
to  conceal  between  you,  and  no  suspicions  may  be 
formed."  Then  he  called  my  attention  and  asked 
if  I  knew  of  a  heavy  iron-studded  gate  that,  half 
hid  by  a  clump  of  rose  bushes,  led  through  the  wall 
at  the  farther  angle. 

"  Yes,  but  there  is  no  key,"  said  I,  "  and  I  have 
never  known  it  to  be  open,  nor  does  it  open  on  the 
street." 

"  I  know  that  well,"  he  replied,  "  and  if  there  had 
been  one  anywhere  within  the  reach,  it  would  have 
been  found ;  so  we  must  get  around  that.  Can  you 
see  me  where  I  stand  ?  " 

"  Beyond  doubt,"  said  I,  "  most  readily." 

"  I  am  holding  something,"  said  he,  in  reply. 
"  Could  you  catch  it  if  I  should  toss  it  you  ?  " 

"  Try  me,"  said  I. 

Gently  he  tossed  something  up  to  me,  and  I 
caught  it  even  in  that  bad  light,  without  a  mishap. 
It  was  soft  and  pliable. 

"  Now  listen,"  went  on  Selwyn  Powys.  "What 
you  hold  in  your  hand  is  wax,  and  with  it  you  can 
get  the  impression  of  the  inside  of  the  big  lock  to 
the  gate.  Martha  has  tried  to  do  so,  but  her  fingers 
are  too  big  to  press  the  wax  into  the  niches,  and  the 
keys  that  we  have  made  fit  not,  or  at  least  so  badly 
that  they  are  useless."  Then  in  a  few  words  he 
directed  me  how  to  mould  the  various  interior  parts 


iG  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

and  to  make  note  of  them  so  that  when  put  to- 
gether the  complete  form  of  the  key  could  be 
gathered. 

I  was  for  sliding  down  the  wall  to  him  with  the 
assistance  of  a  rope,  but  to  this  he  would  not  listen, 
as  being  dangerous  and  sure  of  ultimate  discovery. 
Then  added  he :  "  We  must  talk  together  at 
length  and  be  unobserved  for  this  purpose."  So  I 
made  my  way  through  the  flower  beds  and  the  little 
maze  to  the  gate,  and  following  his  directions  as  to 
keeping  the  wax  warm  by  holding  it  in  my  hands 
and  wetting  it  after  sticking  it  upon  my  finger,  I 
succeeded  in  getting  several  misshapen  lumps,  and 
carried  them  back  to  him  on  a  stone  as  he  directed, 
so  as  to  avoid  destroying  the  shape  by  handling, 
and  because  the  moulds  kept  better  and  entire  when 
cold.  I  had  to  exercise  some  caution  in  getting 
them  to  the  top  of  the  wall,  and  not  a  little  care  in 
dropping  them  into  his  hat  and  remembering  the 
parts  of  the  lock  from  which  they  came.  We  were 
once  interrupted  by  the  approach  of  a  party  of  rev- 
ellers, and  for  a  long  time  it  looked  as  if  Selwyn 
would  have  to  desist  from  his  plotting  and  turn 
minstrel  again  for  their  benefit ;  but  after  some  coarse 
bantering  they  went  their  ways,  and  the  rest  of  the 
wax  was  delivered  in  safety. 

With  a  parting  injunction  to  be  guarded  and  to 
be  on  the  lookout  the  next  evening.  Master  Powys 


The  Mysterious  Beggar  27 

left.  As  I  crawled  in  at  the  window,  [my  passage 
hid  by  the  thick  leaves  of  the  vine,]  I  heard  the 
throbbing  of  his  theorbo  down  the  street. 

Now  it  may  be  thought  that  I  was  over  young  to 
be  indulging  in  this  sort  of  business,  and  my  only 
answer  to  that  is  doubtless  this  was  so ;  but  I 
was  older  than  my  years,  and  though  inexperienced 
in  the  ways  of  the  world  at  large,  confident  of  my- 
self and  was  resourceful  to  some  extent  for  the  very 
reason  of  my  mode  of  life.  For  I  had  been  de- 
pending on  no  one  else  during  the  years  that  most 
children  rely  upon  others.  Had  the  young  priest 
who  had  taken  me  in  charge  been  less  lazy  and 
more  desirous  of  influence,  I  doubt  not  that  he 
might  have  gained  some  hold  over  me ;  but  as  it 
was,  he  simply  existed  and  counted  for  neither 
one  thing  nor  the  other.  Having  caught  him  once 
in  a  falsehood,  I  had  lost  respect  for  him,  and  you 
know  what  this  means  with  young  people. 

It  was  impossible  for  any  one  to  leave  the  cas- 
tello  after  nightfall,  for  watches  were  kept  at  the  big 
gates,  and  no  one,  servant  or  otherwise,  left  without 
permission  from  the  guardian,  except  it  were  on 
business  for  the  Don  or  at  his  command.  At 
some  time  in  the  past  this  old  keep  must  have  stood 
out  well  from  the  town  that  had  grown  around  it, 
for  it  was  built  after  the  fashion  of  the  old  feudal 
fortresses.     The  castle  proper  was  still  surrounded 


28  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

by  a  moat,  and  the  portcullis  was  still  in  existence. 
The  garden  had  been  a  recent  addition,  and  by 
recent  I  mean  made  during  the  last  one  hundred 
and  fifty  years. 

That  day  was  one  that  tried  my  spirit  —  I  could 
scarce  wait  for  nightfall.  The  young  Padre  Fran- 
cisco was  exacting  of  me,  and  for  the  first  time 
betrayed  that  some  force  lay  beneath  his  placid 
exterior ;  but  he  found  me  at  least  willing  to  listen 
to  his  lecture,  though  my  mind  wandered  sadly  and 
I  was  taken  to  task  for  inattention.  After  I  had 
crept  into  bed,  this  time  with  my  clothes  on, — for  I 
feared  Martha's  curiosity  no  longer  (although  ac- 
cording to  arrangements  I  had  told  her  nothing),  — 
some  one  entered.  Thinking  it  was  Martha  com- 
ing in  on  her  usual  visit  of  inspection,  I  breathed 
slowly  and  regularly  with  my  eyes  closed,  and  then 
I  opened  them,  for  I  felt  that  whosoever  it  was  had 
not  left  the  room  and  was  bending  over  me  — 
watching.  Above  me  stood  my  mother !  It  was 
the  first  time  that  I  could  remember  that  she  had 
come  in  to  see  me. 

"  Marteo,"  she  said  gently,  in  tone  that  was 
new  to  her, — "  Marteo,"  and  she  bent  as  if  to  put 
her  lips  to  mine.  I  turned  my  head  and  shrank 
back  into  the  bed  coverings.  I  am  glad  to  state 
that  the  reason  I  did  so  was  because  of  the  sudden 
knowledge  that  I  had  everything  on  but  my  shoes, 


The  Mysterious  Beggar  29 

and  not  from  any  disdain  of  her  tenderness.  But 
she  must  have  taken  it  that  way,  for  I  heard  the 
door  close ;  and  although  I  waited,  listening  for  her 
footsteps,  and  deep  in  my  heart  longing  for  her, 
she  did  not  return,  and  never  again  was  this  visit 
repeated.  My  poor  mother!  she  was  one  of  those 
people  who  enjoy  life  but  at  odd  moments,  and 
then  intensely,  and  suffer  during  the  most  part  of 
their  existence. 

Well,  I  reached  the  appointed  spot  on  the  wall 
and  lay  there  for  a  few  minutes  before  I  saw  any 
one,  and  then  it  was  a  gray  Friar  who  came  wad- 
dling along  with  his  cowl  over  his  head  and  his  arms 
thrust  into  his  wide  sleeves.  Soon  came  a  hail  in 
my  direction. 

"  And  who  art  thou  ?  "  I  asked,  though  of  course 
I  knew. 

"  Father  Selwyn,"  was  the  reply,  "  who  wouldst 
talk  with  thee.  Here,  my  son,  take  this."  And 
he  threw  the  end  of  a  slight  cord  over^the  wall. 
I  caught  it  and  drew  up  a  heavy  key  almost  the 
length  of  my  forearm. 

"  Now,"  said  Selwyn  Powys,  dropping  for  the 
nonce  the  tone  he  had  used,  "  hasten  to  the  gate, 
and  when  the  moon  is  hidden  behind  the  big  middle 
tower  unlock  the  bolt  and  open  the  door." 

So,  all  impatient,  I  did  as  I  was  told;  I  passed 
through  the  garden,  found  the  gate,  and  inserting 


30  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

the  key  as  soon  as  the  time  came,  I  tried  to  turn 
it.  It  grated,  but  would  not  move.  Then,  placing 
my  foot  against  the  side,  I  strained  with  all  my 
might,  and  slowly  it  gave  way.  Again  it  required 
ail  my  strength  to  move  it  upon  its  hinges.  It 
groaned  and  moved ;  I  put  my  hand  forward  and 
my  heart  sank.  There  was  another  door  inside ! 
But  as  soon  as  I  had  pushed  the  first  one  open  [so 
that  the  dim  light  entered  the  archway]  I  perceived 
that  the  sizes  of  the  locks  were  much  the  same,  but 
there  were  two  huge  bolts  securing  it.  Trying  the 
key  once  more,  I  found  it  unlocked  the  inner  door ; 
then,  using  it  as  a  lever,  I  slid  back  the  iron  bars. 
This  door  pushed  through  the  other  way  I  per- 
ceived, after  trying  it  several  times,  and  I  slowly 
opened  it;  the  hinges  gave  a  hollow  grumble  at  first ; 
then  it  swung  wide  of  its  own  accord. 

I  peered  past.  Behind  me  the  garden  was  flooded 
with  moonlight ;  but  before  me  there  was  nothing 
but  jet  blackness,  and  then  I  heard  a  hollow  rapping 
sound,  and  a  damp  air  crept  past  me  that  chilled 
my  limbs. 

It  was  a  fortunate  thing  that  I  felt  my  way  before 
taking  a  step  —  I  might  have  come  to  grief  had  I 
not  used  diligence.  The  passageway,  into  which 
this  second  door  led,  began  with  a  straight  descent 
of  six  steps,  and  I  went  down  them  much  after  the 
fashion   of  a  person  who,  unable   to  swim,   enters 


The  Mysterious  Beggar  31 

deep  water.  At  last  I  found  that  level  ground  was 
before  me,  and  sounding  with  my  foot  as  I  ad- 
vanced, my  heart  beating  loudly,  I  pushed  ahead. 
The  knocking  continued  growing  louder,  and  I 
came  to  the  foot  of  another  stone  staircase.  It  had 
appeared  that  I  had  unlocked  enough  doors,  but 
this  was  the  last. 

"Try  the  key,"  said  a  distant  voice  behind  the 
obstruction.  I  found  the  keyhole  and  pushed  the 
door  open. 

I  came  out  into  another  garden,  and  the  dim 
moonlight  seemed  brilliant  after  the  darkness. 
Selwyn  Powys  was  there  alone,  and  I  threw  my 
arms  about  his  neck.  For  a  full  minute  after  the 
embrace  we  stood  there  looking  at  one  another. 
Then  Selwyn  said,  "  Come,"  and  turned.  Before 
us  rose  a  well-built  structure  of  gray  stone,  and 
holding  my  hand,  he  conducted  me  into  the  build- 
ing by  what  was  evidently  a 'rear  entrance.  We 
came  into  a  room  sparsely  furnished  and  dimly 
lighted  by  a  sputtering  dip.  He  placed  me  on  a 
chair,  and  drawing  up  nearly  opposite  me,  he  began 
to  submit  me  to  a  course  of  questions. 

It  did  seem  odd  that,  after  having  told  me  that 
he  had  come  from  England  at  the  risk  of  his  life 
to  find  me,  he  should  be  concerned,  not  for  my 
liberty  or  my  happiness,  but  for  my  spiritual  wel- 
fare.    For,  after  asking  me  concerning  the  teach- 


32  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

ings  to  which  I  had  been  subjected,  and  if  I  loved 
the  Pope,  he  began  to  sift  me  to  find  the  condition 
of  my  soul.  Earnestly,  indeed,  did  he  talk,  and 
from  a  condition  of  surprise  and  disappointment  I 
caught  the  infection. 

When  I  went  back  to  the  castle  through  the  hid- 
den passage,  I  had  much  to  think  about ;  of  course  I 
was  puzzled.  To  be  short,  for  five  or  six  nights 
this  continued.  Perhaps  I  was  a  willing  convert, 
or  perhaps  I  had  seen  enough  of  the  ways  of 
popery.  At  any  rate,  after  a  week  I  had  imbibed 
enough  heretic  doctrines  to  bring  me  to  the  stake, 
and  before  a  month  had  gone  by  I  was  a  member 
of  a  little  congregation  that  met  secretly  at  mid- 
night in  the  cellar  of  this  house  and  worshipped  at 
a  risk  that  was  fearful  to  contemplate.  Some  well- 
known  people  did  I  meet  at  these  gatherings,  one 
very  aged  man  who  had  been  a  pupil  of  Melanchthon, 
and  another,  who  had  been  a  close  companion  of 
Lefebre.  The  Reformation  was  making  long  strides 
in  France,  but  it  had  not  dared  to  raise  its  head 
in  Spain ;  nor  methinks  will  it  ever  gain  foothold 
there,  so  strong  are  the  powers  that  work  against 
it. 

It  had  become  so  much  a  matter  of  course  for  me 
to  indulge  in  these  nocturnal  excursions  that  I  took 
them  as  a  matter  of  granted.  I  had  almost  worn  a 
pathway  through  the  vines  by  means  of  my  frequent 


The  Mysterious  Beggar  ^3 

comings  and  goings,  and  soon  the  great  key  turned 
the  locks  easily  from  constant  practice. 

Months  went  by.  I  was  the  very  youngest  that  ap- 
peared at  the  meetings,  and  certe  I  was  but  a  listener  ; 
and  I  began  to  wonder  what  was  expected  of  me  and 
why  I  had  been  reckoned  of  so  much  importance 
by  Selwyn  Powys.  One  day  I  knew,  and  as  he  told 
it  tersely  I  can  tell  it  best  in  his  words. 

We  had  left  the  cellar,  where  there  had  been  a 
somewhat  larger  attendance  than  usual,  and  he 
stopped  me  in  the  garden. 

"Young  master,"  said  he,  "I  know  now  that 
young  as  thou  art,  thou  hast  embraced  the  truth  and 
that  the  new  spirit  is  born  within  thee,  and  I  do  not 
fear  that  it  will  be  driven  out ;  and  so  I  will  tell  thee 
something  of  thyself  and  why  I  have  been  so  cautious 
in  my  dealings.  Thy  half-brother  in  England  is 
dead,  and  to  thee  belong  the  estates  and  possessions 
of  the  family.  Thou  art  Sir  Matthew  Maunsell  of 
Highcourt  and  art  entitled  to  take  place  of  a  baronet 
in  Free  England,  and  there  thou  must  go  right 
shortly.  And  strong  in  thy  new  faith  thou  wilt 
find  everything  ready  to  thy  hand  :  a  royal  welcome, 
good  friends,  and,  praise  God,  liberty  !  " 

I  was  all  on  fire  at  once ;  for  it  was  daily  growing 
harder  for  me  to  dissemble,  I  hated  the  acting 
of  the  part,  and  the  excitement  of  the  evening  ex- 
cursions had  died  away. 


34  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

Powys  promised  me  that  all  arrangements  would 
be  made  as  soon  as  possible,  and  that  Martha  and 
I  would  be  provided  with  means  to  reach  some  sea- 
port where  he  would  join  us,  and  then :  Ho !  for 
distant  England !  But  the  programme  that  we 
arranged  so  easily  was  to  be  interrupted.  I  had 
not  seen  my  mother,  except  once  or  twice,  since 
the  night  that  she  had  come  to  my  bedside,  and 
Martha  informed  me  the  day  after  the  speech  of 
Powys's  that  I  have  recorded,  that  a  great  event 
had  happened  for  the  house  of  Vertendonna,  and 
that  an  heir  had  been  born  to  my  stepfather  —  not 
such  a  babe  as  I  had  been,  but  one  strong  and 
lusty  with  lungs  like  a  clarion-player,  for  I  could 
hear  the  cries  of  the  strange  little  voice  when  I  en- 
tered the  apartment  where  the  babe  was  being  shown 
to  the  members  of  the  household  and  family. 

My  mother  was  an  exceedingly  sick  woman, 
though ;  there  was  much  concern  for  her,  and  no 
one  was  permitted  to  see  her  but  her  attendants.  I 
did  not  look  upon  her  face  until  the  next  morning, 
and  then  she  lay  cold  and  white,  and  for  the  first 
time,  to  all  appearance,  supremely  happy,  in  the 
great  high  bed,  with  the  gold  and  crimson  canopy. 
Candles  burned  beside  her,  some  priests  were  chant- 
ing the  requiem,  and  I  stood  awed,  and  silent,  and 
untearful  in  the  presence  of  death.  I  mourned  sin- 
cerely at  the  funeral,  and  for  the  few  days  following 


The  Mysterious  Beggar  35 

was  moody  and  unhappy  and  more  neglected  than 
ever.  In  fact,  I  was  not  considered  at  all,  and  had 
Powys  learned  what  I  knew  subsequently,  much  that 
happened  could  have  been  avoided.  Assuredly  most 
people  thereabouts  would  never  have  missed  me, 
and  my  stepfather  doubtless  would  have  considered 
my  departure  good  riddance. 

Powys  condoled  with  me  in  my  loss,  and  put  oiF 
on  account  of  it  making  the  final  arrangements  for 
our  flight ;  but  under  his  direction  I  now  broached 
the  subject  to  Martha,  and  she  appeared  to  be  well 
informed.  She  also  told  me  more  of  my  family  and 
more  of  herself.  She  was  not  young,  but  in  the  prime 
of  womanhood,  and  she  was  to  marry  Selwyn  as  soon 
as  they  had  arrived  in  England.  She  expressed  the 
hope  (and  it  was  odd  to  hear  her  do  so)  that  neither 
she  nor  he  would  ever  have  to  leave  my  service,  and 
she  made  me  promise  this  —  which  I  did  on  my 
heart.  Martha  told  me  that  my  father's  sister,  who 
had  married  a  Scotch  lord,  was  still  Romish  and  a 
lady  in  waiting  to  Mary,  the  wife  of  the  King  of 
France,  and  who  afterwards  styled  herself  the  Queen 
of  the  Scots.  She  described  to  me  the  scenery  of 
England  and  was  as  eager  to  return  there  as  I  was 
to  go.     Every  night  I  dreamed  of  it. 


CHAPTER   III 

THE    BLACK    ORDER 


ADRE    FRANCISCO   had   paid    little 

attention  to  me  since  the  death  of  my 
mother,  and  I  had  been  left  to  my  own 

devices  absolutely,  and  this  had   given 

Martha  and  myself  much  time  for  talking.  But  the 
priest  appeared  one  evening,  shortly  after  darkness 
had  set  in,  with  a  request  that  I  should  accompany 
him  upon  a  matter  of  importance.  Now  this  was 
the  night  that  preceded  the  one  that  had  been 
settled  upon  for  our  escape !  Martha  and  I  were 
to  pack  up  a  few  belongings  and  leaving  by  the 
secret  entrance  to  meet  Selwyn,  who  would  have 
horses  ready.  It  had  been  the  intention  to  ride 
all  night  to  some  place  where  we  could  take  ship 
before  we  could  be  apprehended. 

The  priest's  request  was  a  strange  one,  and  he  did 
not  enlighten  me  as  to  his  intentions.  It  was  clear 
that  he  had  made  some  arrangement,  however ;  for,  as 
we  went  out  of  the  great  entrance,  —  he  having  close 
grasp  of  my  hand,  —  he  spoke  to  a  black  Friar,  who 
tmrned  and  accompanied  us,  the  warder  at  the  gate 

36 


The  Black  Order 


37 


bowing  low  as  we  passed.  We  walked  a  long  way 
in  a  direction  that  was  new  to  me,  and  passing  before 
a  great  church,  followed  close  along  an  unbroken  wall 
and  entered  a  low,  sombre  building  with  narrow  wm- 
dows  that  were  heavily  barred.  I  had  not  asked  a 
question  of  my  conductors  on  the  journey,  but  no 
sooner  were  we  admitted  (after  some  knocking  and 
words)  than  I  began  to  feel  a  sense  of  fear.  The 
corridor  was  but  dimly  lighted,  and  here  and  there 
stood  whispering  groups  of  priests  in  the  black  habit 
of  the  one  who  had  accompanied  us.  I  would  have 
stayed  close  by  the  young  Padre,  for  even  he  seemed 
like  a  friend  among  these  frightening  strangers ;  but 
telling  me  to  remain  where  I  was,  he  shook  his 
hand  free  from  mine  that  would  have  held  him,  and 
disappeared.  No  one  spoke  to  me,  no  one  even 
approached  me,  and  my  pride  tempted  me  not  to 
show  my  feelings,  but  to  aiFect  an  attitude  of  uncon- 
cern ;  and  thus  I  stood  with  my  arms  folded,  out- 
wardly possessed,  but  with  my  heart  beating  and 
hammering  against  my  ribs.  Soon  my  tutor  re- 
turned, and  leading  me  down  the  corridor,  he  con- 
ducted me  into  a  room  lit  by  a  few  tapers  burning 
before  a  great  crucifix,  almost  life  size,  that  hung 
over  a  draped  altar.  Another  door  opened,  and  the 
crooked  figure  of  a  man  dressed  in  the  same  black 
gown  as  the  others,  with  the  cowl  drawn  over  the 
head,  tottered  up  to  us.     I  say  tottered,  though'^it 


38  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

were  better  to  use  the  word  "  shuffled "  ;  his  feet 
dragged  heavily,  and  he  only  kept  himself  from  faUing 
forward  by  the  help  of  a  stout  staff  grasped  in  both 
hands.  When  quite  close  he  stopped  and  pushed 
back  the  cowl.  I  recognized  the  ferret  eyes  and  the 
hooked  beak  of  Padre  Alonzo !  The  picture  of 
him  as  I  had  seen  him  last,  came  to  me  ;  but  all  that 
was  human  had  faded  from  his  face ;  the  temples 
were  sunken  and  there  was  scarcely  enough  flesh  to 
cover  the  outlines  of  the  skull.  His  shaven  head 
made  the  resemblance  to  death  more  frightful,  and  I 
could  not  control  a  start  of  horror.  Formerly  he 
had  been  a  tall  man ;  but  now  he  appeared  bent  to 
half  his  height. 

"  You  know  me,  you  remember  me  ?  "  he  asked 
in  the  flat  cracked  voice  of  a  hunchback. 

"  I  do,"  I  replied,  and  I  spoke  his  name. 

"  'Tis  well,"  said  he.  "  We  will  delay  no  longer 
— follow!"  and  we  fell  in  behind  him  as  he  worked 
his  way  toward  an  entrance,  the  door  of  which  had 
been  thrown  wide  open.  It  closed  behind  us  with 
a  heavy,  echoing  report,  and  there  we  were  in  a  long 
room  filled  with  objects  that  were  strange  to  me. 
But  I  cannot  even  now  remember  or  describe  them 
clearly.  There  were  utensils  of  wood  and  iron, 
wheels  and  ropes  and  several  long  bars  hung  down 
from  the  ceiling.  Seated  on  either  side  of  a  great 
throne-hke    chair  were  five  horrible    beings  whose 


The  Black  Order  39 

heads  turned  with  one  accord  as  we  came  in.  Be- 
neath their  cowls  their  faces  were  hid  by  long  black 
masks  with  slits  for  eyeholes.  They  rose  without  a 
word  and  remained  standing  until  the  deformed  priest 
had  seated  himself  on  the  great  centre  throne.  The 
mystery,  the  silence,  and  the  horror  gained  such  pos- 
session of  me  that  it  took  great  effort  to  prevent 
myself  from  screaming  as  one  might  in  the  foul 
clutches  of  a  wicked  dream.  Padre  Francisco,  who 
stood  near  me,  was  affected  also.  I  could  see  that, 
from  his  drawn  face  and  his  lips  that  moved  in  the 
ejaculatory  prayer. 

Padre  Alonzo's  hand  sought  a  cord  that  hung 
beside  the  chair  in  which  he  sat.  In  response  to  a 
pull  a  solemn  muffled  bell  rang  somewhere  and 
a  door  at  the  farther  end  of  the  chamber  opened. 
Two  figures  in  black  hose  and  doublets,  with 
masks  —  black  also  —  hiding  their  visages,  came  in, 
dragging  between  them  the  half-dressed  figure  of  a 
man.  He  was  tightly  bound  with  cords  so  that  his 
shoulders  almost  met  behind  him,  his  head  was 
hung  back  loosely ;  but  even  before  I  saw  his  pale 
blood-streaked  face  I  knew  it  was  Selwyn  Powys. 
I  would  have  cried  out  then,  of  a  surety,  had  not 
one  of  the  black-robed  council,  who  had  risen  a  step 
before  me,  closed  my  mouth  with  his  hand,  at  the 
same  time  shielding  me  from  my  poor  friend's 
sight. 


4©  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

"  Thou  hast  denied  that  thou  knew  me,  or  that  I 
know  thy  name ! "  hissed  Padre  Alonzo,  leaning 
forward.  "  We  have  a  witness  here  to  confront 
thee  with."  With  that  the  black-robed  captor 
whirled  me  suddenly  about,  and  Selwyn  Powys 
looked  me  in  the  eyes.  His  countenance  had 
undergone  a  dreadful  change.  It  was  waxen, 
with  deep  lines  down  his  cheeks ;  the  white  upper 
garment  that  he  wore  was  red  from  wrist  to  elbow. 
With  an  effort  he  straightened  his  knees  and  stood 
firmly. 

"Yea,"  he  said,  endeavoring  to  speak  aloud. 
"  Thou  hast  spoken  right ;  I  am  the  one  who  made 
thee  what  thou  art,  but  who  did  the  work  badly, 
as  all  can  see.  But  Satan  will  accomplish  what  I 
failed  to  do,  and  thy  misshapen  soul  shall  be  tor- 
tured as  thy  body  hath  been." 

I  fain  believe  that  the  chief  inquisitor  would 
have  felled  him  with  his  staff  had  he  possessed  the 
strength,  and  perhaps  Powys  hoped  that  he  would 
do  so,  for  he  inclined  his  head  as  if  eager  to  receive 
a  blow,  but  none  fell.  Instead,  the  judge  leaned 
forward,  and,  pointing  with  his  trembling,  bony  fin- 
ger, spoke  a  word  I  could  not  catch.  At  this 
Padre  Francisco  stepped  out  boldly. 

"Holy  Father,"  he  cried,  "I  beg  of  thee  to 
allow  this  young  boy  to  retire.  He  is  not  fit  for 
such  scenes ;  I  beg  of  thee,"  he  repeated. 


The  Black  Order  41 

"  And  for  thyself,  thou  speakest  also,"  hissed  the 
devil-hearted  one,  for  such  he  must  have  been. 
"No,  both  shall  stay."  # 

"  Shall  he  have  no  time  to  recant  ? "  asked  a 
deep  voice  from  behind  one  of  the  masks.  At  this 
Powys  spoke  again. 

"  Recant ! "  cried  he.  "  Listen  well,  and  you 
may  hear  every  fibre  of  my  body  cry  out  against 
thee  and  thy  teachings,  against  all  thy  deviltries  and 
idolatries  !  The  last  flutter  of  my  heart  will  praise 
the  new  faith  and  its  meanings ;  the  faith  that  will 
rise  to  confound  false  doctrine  and  evil  thought ! " 
The  misshapen  priest  stamped  his  foot  and  half 
rose.  Again  he  pointed.  There  came  a  sound  of 
scuffling  feet  and  Selwyn  Powys's  voice  saying 
in  English :  — 

"  Have  courage.  Sir  Matthew  !  Fear  not ;  have 
confidence,  and  be  faithful ! "  A  heavy  chain 
dropped  on  the  stone  floor.  I  heard  the  creaking 
of  a  rope,  the  room  whirled  about  me,  and  I  fell 
senseless,  made  so  by  God's  mercy  who  protecteth 
His  children. 

And  thus  did  the  soul  of  my  master,  beloved 
friend,  and  faithful  servitor  go  out  in  anguish, 
as  many  souls  have  departed  before  and  since. 

When  my  senses  came  back  to  me,  I  was  in  the 
open  air,  being  carried  in  some  one*s  arms,  and  it 
was  some  moments  before  I  could  tell  the  why  or 


42  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

wherefore  of  such  procedure,  and  then  I  saw  that 
it  was  the  young  priest  and  a  stranger  who  had  hold 
of  me.  My  brain  wandered  sadly  as  if  in  a 
fever.  I  must  have  been  a  heavy  burden,  but  they 
carried  me  thus  into  the  castle  and  placed  me  upon 
my  couch.  There  I  remained  for  five  days,  and 
when  I  did  grow  strong  enough  to  raise  my  head, 
my  mind  was  like  that  of  a  child  but  two  years  old ; 
the  names  of  things  had  left  me,  and  all  my  recollec- 
tions returned  but  slowly :  it  was  over  a  year  before 
I  could  recall  the  happenings  of  this  night.  Faith- 
ful Martha  Warrell  never  learned  what  I  could 
tell,  though,  poor,  broken-hearted  creature,  she 
suspected  all  of  it.  Selwyn  Powys  had  disappeared, 
and  granting  that  to  be  a  fact,  he  was  as  good  as 
dead  in  Spain. 

How  or  where  they  had  found  him  is  more  than 
I  know,  but  several  others  of  the  little  congregation 
with  whom  I  worshipped  were  missing ;  for  the 
Spanish  inquisition,  like  some  great  monster  that 
lurks  beneath  a  nation,  as  a  devil-fish  does  beneath 
the  water,  thrusts  its  arms  in  all  directions,  and  woe 
betide  the  unlucky  mortal  that  is  once  within  its 
clutches. 

Martha  tended  me  faithfully  during  my  illness. 
Hardly  for  an  instant  did  she  leave  my  side,  and  as 
soon  as  I  was  able  to  be  about,  she  told  me  that  a 
great  change  was  to  come  over  my  affairs.     She  did 


The  Black  Order  43 

not  have  to  go  into  deep  explanations,  for  I  ac- 
cepted the  news  that  I  was  going  to  go  upon  a 
journey  with  the  indifferent  delight  of  a  child,  and 
as  before  my  experience  in  the  torture  chamber  I 
had  been  advanced  for  my  age,  my  brain  had  now 
gone  backward :  I  was  a  dolt  and  a  dullard.  This 
fact  did  not  seem  to  excite  much  comment  from  my 
stepfather's  adherents,  and  mayhap  Martha  was 
the  only  one  that  noticed  it,  and  it  but  increased 
her  devotion.  At  all  events,  one  morning  we 
drove  away  from  the  castle,  she  and  I,  and  I  caught 
a  gHmpse  of  the  Don,  a  handsome  figure,  to  be 
sure,  in  his  black  and  silver  mourning,  standing  at 
the  great  gate  surrounded  by  some  of  his  friends. 
I  sat  there  in  the  coach,  with  my  head  on  Martha's 
shoulder,  not  caring  where  I  went,  and  he  watched 
me  go,  with  a  smile  on  his  lips,  not  caring  either.  I 
was  somewhat  of  a  joke,  I  dare  say,  with  his  rela- 
tions. I  had  become  familiar  with  great  names 
a-plenty,  and  knew  many  faces  to  fit  to  them ;  but 
every  one  knows  how  it  is  with  proud  people :  they 
seldom  concern  themselves  with  others  whom  they 
regard  as  dependents  or  pensioners  of  their  ac- 
quaintances. Martha  told  me  that  we  were  going 
to  embark  at  Cadiz  for  Flanders,  and  that  all  this 
had  been  brought  about  by  my  Aunt  Katharine, 
who  was  then  in  France.  I  cannot  tell  where  we 
landed,  but  I  think  it  UOrient,  and  thence  we  went 


44  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

inland,  having  been  met  by  a  courier,  and  I  was 
taken  to  the  chateau  at  which  Lady  Katharine 
Taliaferro  (born  Maunsell  and  twice  widowed)  was 
stopping. 


CHAPTER  IV 

ENGLAND 


I  HAD  been  much  wasted  by  my  illness, 
but  had  grown  so  tall,  that  I  no  doubt 
appeared  unprepossessing  and  feeble  in 

body,  as  I  was  certainly  dulled  in  mind. 

The  only  thing  that  I  craved  deeply  was  sleep  and 
solitude,  and  this  I  soon  got  plenty  of;  for  after 
four  or  five  attempts  to  draw  me  out  and  ascertain 
my  aptitude  and  temper,  my  aunt  decided  that  I 
had  neither  one  nor  the  other,  and  again  I  settled 
down  to  a  life  that  could  not  possibly  harm  any  one 
and  did  no  end  of  good  to  me,  in  that  every  day 
I  gained  health  and  strength.  Nothing  was  said 
to  me  about  the  fact  which  Selwyn  Powys  had 
appraised  me  of;  namely,  that  I  was  the  heir  of 
some  property,  and  a  baronet  by  right  of  descent. 
I  was  not  forced  to  study  or  to  exert  myself  in 
any  measure ;  I  simply  existed  healthily.  Without 
any  reluctance  I  had  gone  back  to  the  going  through 
with  the  outward  forms  of  the  religion  which  my 
aunt  professed,  and  there  was  no  hypocrisy  here, 
for  at  this  time  I  would  have  worshipped  a  golden 

45 


46  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

image  or  a  clay  one,  so  far  as  any  effect  of  doing  so 
would  have  had  upon  my  mental  consciousness. 
Perhaps  Lady  Katharine  regretted  the  bargain  she 
had  made  and  the  burden  she  assumed  in  sending 
for  me ;  perhaps  she  had  but  hoped  to  use  me  as 
a  tool  to  further  her  own  designs  and  found  me 
what  she  wished. 

I  remember  the  gleam  of  interest  that  awakened 
in  me  at  the  news  that  we  were  at  last  going  to  Eng- 
land, and  I  date  from  this  day  the  complete  recovery 
of  my  mental  powers.  Yes,  well  do  I  recall  how  it 
seemed  when  I  was  on  the  ship  midway  across  the 
Channel !  I  was  watching  the  waters  dancing  and 
leaping,  —  for  we  were  in  the  midst  of  the  chop,  and 
every  one  was  ill  but  myself  and  the  crew,  —  yes,  and 
as  I  looked  out,  a  heavy  veil  seemed  to  lift ;  I  drew 
a  long  breath  and  gazed  down  at  myself.  It  was 
the  wakening  from  partial  sleep ;  I  realized  who  I 
was,  where  I  had  been,  and  to  what  I  was  going.  I 
was  Sir  Matthew  Maunsell,  aged  sixteen,  a  Protes- 
tant, by  the  grace  of  God,  and  all  the  old  courage 
that  had  marked  me  in  my  very  early  days  returned. 
The  ship,  a  small  craft  of  five  and  thirty  tons,  was 
bound  for  Dundee  in  Scotland,  and  most  of  the 
sailors  were  Scotsmen  or  French.  But  it  was  a  long 
time  before  they  saw  the  northland.  Well  do  I  re- 
member the  storm  that  sprang  up  and  how,  through 


England  47 

the  terror  of  it,  though  I  was  sometimes  frightened, 
I  rejoiced  in  keeping  the  deck,  [though  bidden  by 
the  captain  to  go  below,]  once  or  twice  hauling 
away  lustily  on  a  rope  with  the  crew.  But  there 
was  naught  for  it;  we  could  not  fight  against  such 
head  winds  and  so  bad  a  sea.  We  sprang  a  leak 
and  were  forced,  against  the  will  of  all  on  board,  I 
take  it,  to  put  in  for  the  coast  of  England.  By  the 
narrowest  chance  we  managed  to  make  the  harbor 
of  Portsmouth,  and  there  came  to  anchor  in  the 
midst  of  a  great  fleet  of  vessels  that  lay  riding  to 
long  cables.  To  the  dismay  of  every  one,  but  es- 
pecially to  some  gentry  whose  countenances  and 
methods  of  speech  showed  them  to  be  offsprings  of 
the  Church,  we  were  informed  by  the  captain  that 
the  condition  of  the  vessel  precluded  all  idea  of  pro- 
ceeding farther,  as  the  hull  had  been  strained  from 
stem  to  stern-post,  and  it  required  constant  pumping 
to  keep  her  afloat  even  in  water  that  was  fairly  still. 
I  remember  well  my  aunt's  consternation  at  this  up- 
shot ;  but  still  she  was  not  in  as  bad  position  as  some 
of  the  others,  who  spoke  no  English  and  whose  ap- 
pearance told  tales  on  them.  There  were  plenty  of 
Romanists  in  England,  and  of  course  with  them  she 
had  held  communication.  She  was  English  in  ap- 
pearance, and  as  she  had  intended  to  proceed  from 
Scotland  to  London  at  some  future  day,  she  decided 
that  it  would  be  best  not  to  wait  on  the  odd  chance 


48  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

of  getting  a  vessel  north,  but  to  go  ashore  and  make 
her  way  to  her  friends :  Martha  and  myself  and  a 
young  Jesuit,  who  was  her  private  confessor,  were  to 
accompany  her.  I  did  not  know  that  her  mission 
was  one  that  every  one  would  have  praised  for  its 
disinterestedness.  She  had  left  the  service  of  Queen 
Mary  some  three  years  previously ;  but  when  the  latter 
had  been  defeated  by  Earl  Murray  at  Langside,  she 
would  have  joined  her  if  she  could,  and  after  Mary 
had  landed  at  Workington  in  Cumberland,  she  had 
made  the  attempt.  Now  that  the  Queen's  imprison- 
ment seemed  to  promise  to  be  long,  nothing  would 
do  but  she  must  join  her,  and  this  she  did  and  re- 
mained to  the  last.  All  else  aside,  and  despite  the 
fact  that  my  feeling  toward  her  is  perforce  not 
kindly,  I  grant  that  she  was  a  faithful  soul  and  honest 
and  steadfast  according  to  her  limitations.  But  this 
is  digressing.  It  seems  to  me  that  I  have  written  a 
great  deal  and  not  told  all  that  I  might  or  half  that 
I  would  like  to ;  but  I  was  saying  they  were  very 
much  upset  on  board  the  Sagita,  all  except  myself 
and  Martha.  She  was  the  first  to  discover  that  a 
change  had  come  over  me.  I  cannot  explain,  nor 
have  I  met  any  one  who  ever  hath  had  another  such 
experience ;  but  it  appeared  to  me  as  if  I  had 
suddenly  grown  and  recogliized  myself  as  men's 
equal.  Even  my  hands  and  feet,  that  were  large  and 
puppy-like,  I  could  use  to  some  purpose  without 


England  49 

awkwardness — altogether  it  was  a  very  marvellous 
thing! 

Martha  had  come  to  me,  shortly  after  the  danger 
was  over,  when  we  were  riding  at  anchor,  and  with 
tears  in  her  eyes  and  fear  still  filling  her  speech  she 
would  have  taken  me  to  her  arms.  "  Where  hast 
thou  been  !  "  she  cried.  "  I  could  well  punish  thee 
for  the  anguish  thou  hast  caused  me  and  thy  aunt !  " 

"  I  have  been  working  with  the  men,"  I  replied ; 
"  for  many  lives  were  in  danger." 

"  You  are  raving  ! "  she  cried. 

"  Of  what  use  was  it  to  crawl  in  there,"  I  returned, 
"and  lie  Hke  maggots  in  a  nutshell,  not  seeing  or 
knowing  what  went  on  ?  " 

And  then  I  pointed  out  over  the  bulwarks  (we 
had  not  yet  been  boarded  by  any  officer  of  the  port). 
"  There  is  England,"  said  I ;  "  thy  country  and 
mine,  good  Martha,  and  somewhere  there  is  a  place 
called  Highcourt  in  Northamptonshire,  where  they 
wait  for  me,  and  there  we  will  abide  and  be  rid  of 
priests  and  popery  forever." 

Martha^s  astonishment  at  hearing  me  speak  in 
this  fashion  was  so  great,  that,  added  to  the  weakness 
she  felt  from  the  motion  of  the  ship,  she  would  have 
fallen  had  she  not  grasped  some  of  the  rigging  for 
support. 

"  You  have  heard  me,"  said  I,  "  and  this  gentle- 
man here,"  and  I  indicated  the  captain,  who  was 


5©  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

approaching  us,  "  hath  promised  to  set  us  ashore. 
This  vessel  can  proceed  no  farther." 

"  Very  good.  Sir  Matthew,  *tis  well,"  stammered 
poor  Martha,  and  she  stumbled  down  the  ladder,  up 
which  some  of  the  passengers  who  had  strength  to 
move  were  endeavoring  to  crawl. 

We  were  soon  surrounded  by  small  craft  of  all 
sorts,  and  a  bargain  was  struck  for  one  of  them  to 
set  us  on  shore  with  our  baggage.  As  we  rowed 
in,  the  young  priest,  who  was  disguised  in  a 
feathered  hat  and  a  thick  wattled  cloak,  addressed 
me. 

"  Move  closer,  my  son,"  he  said,  "for  the  spray 
drenches  thee." 

"  Many  thanks  for  your  kindness,"  I  returned ; 
"a  few  drops  of  salt  water  can  harm  nothing,  and 
moreover  I  am  not  'thy  son,'  but  Sir  Matthew 
Maunsell,  of  England,  and  thou  wouldst  call  me 
heretic  and  unbeliever,  and  I  rejoice  thereat." 

There  came  a  squeal  from  my  aunt,  and  she  nearly 
had  a  confusion  of  blood  to  the  brain  on  the  instant. 
My  speech  had  deprived  her  of  words,  and  she 
gasped,  with  her  arms  stretched  out  straight  in  front 
of  her,  and  her  fingers  working  like  a  player  on  the 
harp.  The  priest  turned  white,  and  Martha  War- 
rell  looked  frightened.  I  think,  poor  woman,  she 
imagined  I  was  possessed  of  a  devil,  or  under  a 
spell  of  witchcraft,  and  truly  the  new-born  feeling  of 


England  5 1 

strength  and  self-dependence  was  like  to  it.  I  have 
seen  such  things  take  place  in  a  measure,  when  men 
have  overcome  by  their  own  unaided  strength  some 
long-feared  enemy,  and  have  gauged  themselves 
anew  and  found  that  their  standard  of  themselves 
had  been  too  slight.  This  seemeth  to  increase  the 
stature  and  to  broaden  the  soul.  I  had  spoken  in 
French,  and  the  priest  replied  in  the  same. 

"Have  a  care  of  thy  speech,'*  said  he,  in  a  whis- 
per. "  The  Saints  guard  us  from  trouble !  watch 
thy  tongue  !  "  He  glanced  anxiously  at  the  wherry- 
men  who  were  pulling  on  the  after-thwart.  They 
understood  nothing ;  but  seeing  what  consternation 
I  had  set  them  all  in,  I  did  refrain,  and  in  silence  we 
reached  the  shore.  Lady  Katharine  glaring  at  me, 
after  she  had  recovered,  so  fiercely  that  it  was  most 
comical.  We  went  to  an  inn,  secured  the  best 
rooms  the  place  afforded,  and  once  there,  with  the 
door  locked,  how  her  ladyship  did  rake  me !  I  was 
"  a  snake  that  she  had  guarded  in  her  bosom  "  ;  I 
was  "  a  limb  of  Satan  "  ;  I  was  everything  that  she 
could  think  of  that  was  ungenerous ;  and  from  im- 
precations which  availed  her  nothing  she  fell  to  tears, 
and  as  a  last  resort  turned  me  over  to  the  priest, 
who  attempted  to  reason  with  me.  It  was  to  no 
avail ;  I  had  declared  my  true  colors,  and  I  stood  by 
them.  Of  course  that  they  were  afraid  of  me  I  soon 
saw ;  however,  I  had  no  intentions  of  betraying  them, 


52 


Drake  and  His  Yeomen 


and  assured  them  of  the  fact ;  but  the  situation  was 
uncomfortable,  and  though  they  probably  exagger- 
ated their  fears  to  themselves,  there  may  have  been 
some  danger.  Lady  Katharine  had  passed  us  all 
off  as  Protestants  escaping  from  persecution,  and 
an  English  innkeeper  did  not  like  to  have  it  known 
that  he  had  papists  for  guests,  even  if  parts  of  the 
kingdom  were  filled  with  them. 

The  teachings  of  the  sect  of  Jesuits  lead  to  per- 
fection in  the  arts  of  dissembling  and  subterfuge, 
and  untruths  count  for  little  in  what  they  consider 
good  cause.  For  instance,  the  priest,  after  perceiv- 
ing that  he  could  not  convince  me,  pretended  to 
agree  with  some  of  my  views.  But  I  saw  through 
the  deception,  and  told  him  so ;  then  he  gave  over 
and  let  me  go,  with  something  that  might  have  been 
taken  for  a  malediction.  I  left  the  inn  for  a  ramble, 
filled  with  the  desire  to  be  alone,  and  of  course 
wended  my  way  to  the  water  front. 

There  were  vessels  unloading  and  loading,  bound 
some  for  distant  ports,  and  one  or  two  for  harbors 
along  the  shore  —  coastwise  traders.  I  began  to 
wonder  for  what  purpose  Lady  Katharine  had 
brought  me  with  her,  and  I  learned  subsequently 
that  she  had  destined  me  to  play  a  part  that  would 
have  been  unrighteous  and  unprofitable,  for  it  was  for 
me  to  profess  the  "  new  faith "  with  my  lips  and 
prove  my  rights  to  the  title  and  estates  of  my  father. 


England  53 

but  at  the  same  time  keep  my  heart  in  allegiance  to 
the  cause  of  Rome,  and  give  my  soul  to  the  keeping 
of  the  young  priest,  who  was  to  be  my  companion, 
and  play  a  part  also.  I  might  here  state  that  there 
was  much  of  this  going  on  in  England,  under- 
currents of  plotting  and  counter-plotting  wonderful 
to  relate.  But  my  frank  declaration  had  upset  this 
deep  design,  and  they  were  sore  distressed  what  to 
do.     But  what  they  did,  nevertheless,  was  surprising. 


CHAPTER   V 

DESERTED 

RETURNED  to  the  inn  after  an  ab- 
sence of  perhaps  two  hours,  feeling 
lonely,  but  still  held  up  by  my  strange 
new  sense  of  liberty.  I  knocked  on 
the  door,  and  there  came  no  response,  and  then 
I  opened  it.  The  room  was  empty !  The  four 
great  boxes  that  Lady  Katharine  had  brought 
off  from  the  ship  were  missing,  and  my  heart 
began  to  beat  faster  and  faster.  What  could  be 
the  meaning  of  this  ?  A  servant  passed  by,  and  I 
called  him  up  and  asked  him.  The  fellow  was  a 
blockhead,  who  knew  nothing  but  that  the  people 
I  inquired  for  had  left  the  inn ;  so  I  sought 
out  the  landlord.  He  was  a  surly,  cross-grained 
mountain  of  flesh,  who  listened  to  me  with  a  leer, 
and  when  I  had  finished  laughed  loudly. 

"  Oho  !  "  quoth  he,  "  but  thou  tellst  a  great  tale  ! 
Body  o'  me  !  but  thou  art  handy  with  words.  But 
to  be  forewarned  is  a  good  thing !  I  was  told  what 
was  to  come,  and  thy  mistress  left  this  for  thee  if 

54 


Deserted  ^^ 

thou  shouldst  return,  and  she  trusteth  that  in  thy 
next  place  thou  wilt  serve  with  more  diligence  and 
honesty." 

He  extended  toward  me  a  few  coins,  and  I  struck 
them  out  of  his  hand. 

"  Thou  lying  knave,"  I  cried,  "  know  that  I  am 
a  baronet  of  England,  Sir  Matthew  Maunsell  of 
Highcourt,  and  I  will  not  brook  such  speech  to 
me." 

"  That  for  thee,  Sir  Matthew ! "  was  the  reply, 
and  he  caught  me  a  tremendous  blow  with  the  side 
of  his  foot,  and  I  fairly  left  the  floor.  As  I  started 
to  rise  he  gave  me  the  swift  boot  again,  this  time  so 
cleverly  that  I  went  through  the  doorway  and  tum- 
bled out  into  the  mud  of  the  street.  I  would  have 
returned  to  the  attack  as  soon  as  I  had  gathered  my- 
self together,  had  he  not  slammed  the  door  in  my 
face.  I  vowed  vengeance  against  that  man  (and  one 
day  I  had  it,  and  *twas  worth  rejoicing  in  —  and  they 
say  witnessing),  but  he  was  too  much  for  me  then. 

Muddy  and  sore,  I  retraced  my  path  to  the  ships. 
There  was  one  of  perhaps  fifty  tons  out  in  mid- 
stream, hoisting  up  her  mainsail.  The  creaking  of 
the  blocks  and  the  flapping  of  the  great  canvas  could 
be  heard  on  shore ;  a  wherry  was  rowing  out  to  her, 
and  in  it  I  perceived  some  figures.  Before  the  ves- 
sel had  gained  headway  the  small  boat  was  alongside ; 
two  women  were  helped  over  the  bulwarks,  and  even 


55  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

at  the  distance  I  recognized  Martha's  portly  figure 
and  my  aunt's  slim  one ! 

To  be  deserted  is  one  of  the  most  deplorable 
of  feelings  in  human  life ;  the  heart  sinks  and 
the  brain  sickens ;  that  Martha  should  have  de- 
liberately left  me  was  ruinous  to  my  belief  in 
women  !  but  poor  good  creature,  I  wronged  her  — 
as  I  afterward  found  out.  Had  I  been  able  to 
swim,  I  might  have  jumped  into  the  water,  so  bent 
was  I  upon  joining  them  ;  but  as  that  was  impossible, 
my  spirits  gave  way,  hailing  them  was  out  of  ques- 
tion, and  I  sank  down  on  some  ship  timbers  that 
were  on  the  shore,  and  bitterly  did  I  weep. 

Somebody  touched  me  on  the  shoulder  while  I 
was  still  sobbing,  and  looking  up  I  perceived  that  it 
was  an  old  man  in  a  worn  black  velvet  suit.  He 
had  a  kindly  face,  and  his  white  beard  flowed  over 
his  powerful  chest. 

"  What  is  wrong  ?  what  is  wrong  ?  '*  he  asked 
kindly.  "  Can  I  do  aught  for  thee,  young  gentle- 
man?" 

I  looked  over  the  water.  The  coaster  was  but  of 
a  speck  in  the  distance,  carrying  the  wind  just  abaft 
the  beam  and  making  fine  running. 

"  My  friends  have  left  me,"  said  I,  pointing  out 
the  ship.  "They  are  in  that  vessel  yonder!"  — 
which,  by  the  way,  was  a  race-built  craft  and  must 
have  been  a  fast  sailer. 


Deserted 


57 


"But  thou  canst  soon  follow  them/*  replied  the 
old  man,  kindly.  "  She  is  bound  for  London, 
and  there  are  several  vessels  that  will  sail  from 
here  within  the  next  day  that  will  take  thee 
thither." 

I  had  dried  my  tears,  for  my  pride  was  again  com- 
ing to  my  rescue,  and  I  stood  up.  "  I  doubt  if  I 
would  desire  to  be  with  them,"  said  I. 

Now  I  do  not  think  that  I  am  very  revengeful  in 
character,  yet  I  may  have  inherited  from  the  Span- 
ish side  a  tendency  to  remember  and  to  satisfy 
old  scores ;  but  my  feelings  were  so  bitter  against 
the  Jesuit,  (who  had  Lady  Katharine  completely 
in  his  power,)  that  I  would  like  to  have  followed 
them  for  one  reason  at  least,  and  that  was  to  tell 
who  they  were  and  watch  the  consequence,  whatever 
that  might  be. 

"  The  Ridolphi  plot,  and  the  plan  to  assassinate 
our  good  Sovereign  Queen,  was  just  then  being  un- 
ravelled by  Cecil  Fitz  William  (of  course  I  did  not, 
then,  know  of  this) ;  it  would  have  fared  ill  with  any 
counter-reformers  who  were  found  new-come  to 
England  and  mixing  in  with  the  retainers  of  the 
Scottish  Queen. 

"  Did  your  friends  leave  no  word  ? "  asked  the 
kind  voice  of  the  old  man  again. 

"  None,"  I  replied ;  "  and  moreover  I  do  not 
think  that  I  care  to  follow." 


58  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

"Art  thou  not  a  stranger  here?"  was  the  next 
question. 

"  Yes,  and  alone,  kind  sir." 

He  put  his  hand  on  my  shoulder. 

"  Prithee,  listen,"  said  he.  "  You  see  the  low 
white  house  yonder.  It  is  mine,  and  my  name  is 
Thomas  Blandford ;  if  I  can  do  aught  for  thee,  re- 
member it  and  do  not  hesitate  to  come  to  me." 

"  It  is  very  kind  of  thee,"  I  replied,  "  and  I  shall 
not  forget,  good  sir,  your  offer."  And  saying  this, 
I  made  as  if  to  walk  away.  I  had  not  yet  grown 
used  to  the  position  of  being  pitied,  and  I  desired 
to  be   alone. 

"  Give  me  thy  name,"  said  my  unknown  friend, 
taking  a  few  steps  toward  me,  "  so  I  can  leave  word 
that  I  will  see  thee."  So  I  gave  it  him,  thanking 
him  again,  and  I  knew  that  he  was  standing  watch- 
ing me  as  I  walked  away.  I  might  state  that  I  had 
not  added  my  title,  seeing  that  it  produced  no  effect 
on  the  landlord,  who  had  put  into  practice  hoc 
deposuit  potentes  with  a  vengeance.  From  anger 
and  fright  I  fell  to  self-pity.  The  deplorable  situa- 
tion in  which  I  was  placed  became  more  and  more 
plain  during  the  next  hour,  for  I  grew  hungry. 

I  had  in  a  small  pouch  in  my  doublet  one  gold 
piece  of  Spain,  and  around  my  neck  a  chain  and 
locket  of  gold  that  I  had  worn  ever  since  I  could 
remember.     These,  and  the  clothes  I  stood  in,  were 


Deserted 


59 


my  only  possessions,  as  my  changes  of  linen  and 
so  forth  were  in  the  big  box  with  Martha*s  belong- 
ings. I  was  soon  compelled  to  search  for  food,  so  I 
entered  a  seaman*s  tavern,  and  throwing  my  gold  piece 
down  on  a  table,  called  for  it.  It  was  a  rather  for- 
bidding place  that  I  chanced  upon;  there  were  several 
rather  villanous  persons  sitting  back  in  the  shadow. 
They  surveyed  me  with  interest,  and  the  servant, 
when  he  came  to  wait  upon  me,  went  over  and 
spoke  to  them ;  but  I  got  some  food  which  warmed 
me,  and  I  paid  for  a  bed,  which  left  me  but  little 
money ;  being  badly  cheated  in  the  prices.  As 
I  sat  there  thinking  matters  over  (I  had  entirely 
forgot  that  I  was  so  young),  I  reasoned  that  every- 
thing depended  upon  myself,  and  yet  that  it  was  im- 
possible for  me  to  accomplish  anything  without 
assistance,  and  my  mind  turned  to  the  gentleman 
who  had  spoken  to  me  in  the  afternoon.  I  decided 
to  call  upon  Mr.  Blandford  and  tell  him  my  story  — 
so  I  sallied  forth.  It  had  grown  dark,  and  at  first 
I  was  not  sure  of  my  way,  but  at  last  I  found  it, 
and  was  walking  along,  thinking  of  my  plight,  when 
suddenly  I  was  grasped  from  behind ;  the  cry  that 
I  would  have  uttered  was  stifled  in  my  throat  by 
a  strong  grasp  of  my  wizen,  and  I  was  carried 
bodily  up  a  dark  alley  and  into  a  building  that  I 
knew  was  a  stable  from  the  smell.  There  were  two 
robbers,  and  one  held  me  while  the  other  despoiled 


6o  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

me  of  my  doublet  and  searched  me  thoroughly.  I 
struggled,  of  course,  and  used  my  feet  and  hands  to 
such  good  purpose  that  the  rascal  who  was  holding 
me  flung  me  back  angrily,  and  my  head  striking  a 
wooden  post,  I  knew  no  more. 


CHAPTER  VI 

NEW    FRIENDS 


I  FEELING  of  intense  cold  came  with 
my  senses,  and  sitting  upright  with  diffi- 
culty, I  found  out  the  condition   I   was 

in :  I    had    nothing   on    but   my  shirt ; 

the  locket  was  gone  from  around  my  neck,  and  I 
lay  shivering  in  a  stall  half  filled  with  straw.  The 
one  next  to  me  was  occupied  by  a  horse,  for  I  could 
hear  the  thumping  of  hoofs.  I  was  so  miserable 
and  sick  that  I  wished  I  were  dead,  and  yet  it 
appeared  as  if  I  were  dreaming,  and  I  fain  would 
have  cried  aloud  for  Martha  to  come  and  waken 
me  and  hold  my  hand.  When  I  got  to  my  feet  I 
was  dizzy ;  it  was  so  dark  that  I  had  to  feel  my 
way,  and  I  stumbled  around,  bringing  up  on  one 
occasion  against  the  flanks  of  the  old  horse,  but  I 
could  not  find  the  door  nor  anything  to  guide  me. 
From  whimpering  I  began  weeping,  and  from  weep- 
ing I  fell  to  shouting  for  help,  my  terror  adding 
strength  to  my  voice,  and  my  voice  increasing  my 
terror.  All  at  once  I  heard  the  sound  of  a  latch, 
and  out  of  the  darkness  some  one  speaking. 

6i 


62  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

"  Who  is  it  making  all  the  noise  ? "  inquired  a 
man,  in  half- frightened  tones.  It  was  on  the  tip 
of  my  tongue  to  say,  "  Sir  Matthew  Maunsell  of 
Highcourtj"  but  I  refrained,  and  answered,  shiver- 
ing, for  I  was  no  longer  in  tears :  — 

"  I  have  been  robbed  and  almost  murdered  ;  pray 
help  me." 

Another  voice  broke  in  here  with :  "  It  is  a  boy, 
and  not  a  woman  !  Come  hither,  lad.  Giles,  you 
lazybones,  go  fetch  a  lanthorn ;  the  poor  lad  is  in 
trouble." 

I  stumbled  into  the  last  speaker  before  I  saw  who 
it  was,  and  I  was  laid  hold  of  and  led  up  a  short 
flight  of  steps ;  then  I  saw  that  it  was  a  fat,  elderly 
dame  who  had  me  by  the  shoulder.  An  instant 
later  a  big  man  appeared  with  a  taper  shaded  by  his 
fingers,  and  we  walked  down  a  hallway  and  entered 
a  low-ceilinged  room.  I  must  have  cut  a  sorry 
figure  standing  there  in  my  shirt-tail,  with  my 
knees  knocking  and  my  teeth  chattering. 

"  He's  hurted,  poor  lad,"  the  woman  said. 
"  Here,  Giles,  fetch  a  cloth  and  some  water." 
There  was  a  cut  over  my  forehead  that  had  bled  a 
little.  "And  he's  most  froze,  too,"  went  on  the 
good  woman,  who  was  herself  not  clad  for  a  win- 
ter's night.  "  Here  into  bed  with  you."  And  she 
picked  me  up  in  her  arms  and  heaved  me  over 
into  a  great  bed  stuflFed  with  soft  shavings  that  was 


New  Friends  6;^ 

still  warm  from  where  she  and  her  spouse  had  been 
lying.  As  she  made  me  snug  she  asked  me  a 
number  of  questions,  and  I  told  her  that  I  was  a 
stranger  in  the  town,  having  just  come  off  a  ship 
and  was  on  my  way  to  see  Mr.  Blandford,  when  I  had 
been  waylaid  and  robbed.  The  good,  kindly  soul 
tied  up  my  head,  and  as  I  had  not  rested,  it  seemed 
to  me  for  days,  drowsiness  came  over  me,  the 
warmth  was  grateful  to  my  aching  bones,  and  I  fell 
asleep.  I  do  not  suppose  that  the  good  couple 
kept  a  midnight  vigil  on  my  account ;  but  when  I 
awakened  I  was  alone  in  the  bed,  and  it  required 
a  great  effort  for  me  to  remember  what  had  taken 
place.  There  was  a  smell  of  cooking,  which  I  dis- 
covered, and  a  savory  dish  of  tripe  and  onions  was 
steaming  upon  a  rough  table  near  the  fire. 

I  had  been  conscious  of  the  odor  for  some  time, 
and  had  been  dreaming  that  I  was  hungry ;  now  I 
was  sure  of  it.     Very  soon  my  hostess  appeared. 

"Oh,  you're  awake,  lad,"  was  her  greeting.  "See, 
I  have  some  clothes  for  thee."  She  laid  upon  the 
foot  of  the  bed  some  rough  worsted  hose  much 
darned,  a  shirt,  and  a  leather  doublet.  As  the 
thieves  had  even  taken  my  shoes,  she  had  pro- 
duced a  heavy  pair  with  wooden  soles.  All  this 
toggery  had  seen  service,  and  when  I  had  donned 
it  I  might  have  passed  for  an  apprentice  boy,  were 
it  not  for  the  whiteness  of  my  hands.     The  woman 


64  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

looked  at  them  as  she  drew  up  a  rough,  three-legged 
stool,  and  bidding  me  sit  down,  placed  herself  op- 
posite me,  with  her  fat  elbows  resting  on  the  table 
and  her  good-natured  chin  supported  upon  her  en- 
twined fingers. 

So  fixedly  did  she  regard  me,  that  I  did  not  raise 
my  eyes,  but  made  a  worthy  feeding.  When  I 
looked  up  she  would  say,  "  Eat  some  more,"  and 
I  would  go  on.  The  door  opened,  and  the  good- 
man  entered ;  he  had  on  a  great  leather  apron  and 
leaned  a  whip-stock  against  the  door-post.  The 
woman  rose  and  went  to  him. 

"  Think'st  thou  he  is  not  like  ?  "  she  said,  point- 
ing at  me.     The  man  shook  his  head. 

"  I  see  it  not,"  he  returned. 

"  But  I  say  he  is,"  went  on  the  woman,  "  all  but 
the  hands." 

"  Have  it  so,  have  it  so  !  "  said  the  man. 

The  woman  approached  me  then  and  tilted  my 
face  up  to  hers.  "Thou  art  like  our  son,"  she 
said,  "who  left  us  a  year  ago  this  Whitsuntide. 
Where  wert  thou  born  ?  " 

"  In  London,"  said  I. 

"  And  thy  father's  name  ?  " 

I  reasoned  that  there  was  no  use  of  exploit- 
ing myself,  and  I  had  no  clear  recollection  what 
I  had  said  the  night  before,  so  I  answered  her 
questions    again    as    shortly    and    truthfully    as    I 


New  Friends  65 

could  (except  I  laid  no  claim  to  title) ;  but  she 
interrupted  me  two  or  three  times  to  give  me  a 
resounding  kiss  on  the  forehead  —  a  motherly  buss 
that  betrayed  her  kindly  heart.  She  would  not 
hear  of  my  leaving,  but  I  promised  to  return  after 
the  call  upon  Mr.  Blandford,  that  morning,  and  make 
report.  My  visit  was  a  fruitless  one,  I  found  that 
the  old  gentleman  lived  after  the  manner  of  a 
person  in  easy  circumstances ;  but  the  servant  who 
opened  the  door  for  me  must  have  regarded  me 
as  suspicious,  for  he  told  me  that  his  master  was 
away,  so  I  returned  to  the  mews  where  my  new- 
found friends  lived,  and  the  comfort  of  having 
found  them  such  was  great.  Dame  Truman  was 
awaiting  me,  and  Giles,  who  made  his  living  by 
doing  carting  along  the  water  front,  appearing  at 
noonday,  I  accompanied  him  back  to  his  labor. 

The  day  following  this  I  worked  driving  the 
horse  and  helping  load  timbers,  and  won  Truman's 
good  opinion  by  my  effort.  He  was  a  man  of  few 
words,  honest  of  speech  and  mind,  and  completely 
beneath  the  thumb  of  his  goodwife.  They  had 
made  a  couch  for  me  in  a  small  closet  adjoining 
their  room,  with  a  little  window  that  opened  out 
into  the  alley. 

I  found  that  their  son,  who  was  three  years 
older  than  I,  but  into  whose  shoes  I  had  fitted,  had 
been    tempted    on    board   a  ship   bound   whither 


66  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

they  knew  not,  and  that  was  the  last  seen  of 
him. 

I  did  not  call  upon  Mr.  Blandford  now  for  three 
or  four  days,  and  then  when  I  did  so,  I  was  informed 
that  he  had  left  for  Plymouth  to  be  gone  a  fort- 
night. So  I  worked  on,  happy  and  contented  in  my 
labor ;  my  hands  were  white  no  longer,  and  my  mus- 
cles and  sinews  grew  strong  and  sturdy.  I  had 
discovered  little  more  that  was  new  about  my  friends, 
for  there  was  little  to  discover,  and  they  found  out 
not  much  more  about  me,  except  that  I  was  a  scholar 
and  could  both  read  and  write.  But  there  was 
small  chance  to  exercise  my  learning;  we  went  to 
bed  shortly  after  nightfall  and  were  up  betimes  in 
the  morning,  and  this  was  a  fine  life  for  a  tall  lad 
of  sixteen. 

But  a  strong  temptation  was  growing  up  in  my 
bosom.  After  a  few  weeks  of  this  sort  of  exist- 
ence, never  could  I  see  a  ship  getting  up  her 
anchor  but  I  wished  to  be  on  board  her.  I  talked 
to  the  sailor-men  who  lounged  about  the  jetties, 
and  great  was  the  consternation  of  good  Giles  Tru- 
man when  he  found  me  deep  in  converse  with  a 
bearded  mariner  from  the  port  of  St.  Sabastine,  who 
spoke  a  mixture  of  French  and  Spanish  —  a  vile 
and  outlandish  tongue  that  Giles  considered  it  ill 
for  a  man  to  know.  I  had  discovered  also,  by  this 
time,  that  Mr.  Blandford  was  a  merchant  shipowner 


New  Friends  67 

given  to  good  works,  who  had  retired  from  the  sea 
possessed  of  some  affluence  —  made,  it  was  whispered, 
in  the  slave  trade.  I  had  never  clapped  eyes  on 
him,  however,  since  that  first  day  and  had  got  it  in 
my  head  that  he  did  not  wish  to  see  me  for  some 
reason,  not  knowing  that  after  his  return  from  Plym- 
outh he  had  gone  out  on  a  long  voyage  of  business 
that  had  taken  him  into  the  Mediterranean. 

I  had  fallen  so  quietly  into  this  new  life  of  mine 
that  all  of  its  strangeness  had  disappeared ;  I  was 
like  to  any  young  lad  who  worked  for  his  living  out  of 
doors,  except  that  I  was  taller  than  most;  after  I  had 
trounced  the  bully  of  the  inn  yard  at  "  The  Crowing 
Cock,"  I  had  quite  a  following  among  the  young 
fellows  who  played  at  games  of  strength  and  swift- 
ness in  the  few  hours  they  had  free  from  labor. 
I  learned  to  swim  the  first  time  I  was  in  water  over 
my  head  and  could  pull  an  oar  with  any  of  the 
wherrymen.  I  made  one  short  sail  in  a  lugger  to  a 
neighboring  port  and  back,  and  true  to  my  tempta- 
tion was  about  the  shipping  as  much  as  possible. 
Besides  this  I  served  Giles  Truman  faithfully  and 
well ;  as  if  I  had  been  his  own  son  I  served  him. 
Now  and  then  he  would  give  me  a  bit  of  money 
with  a  warning,  "  Not  to  lose  it  at  chuck  fardhen  " 
—  but  I  never  saw  more  than  sixpence.  Dame 
Truman  always  treated  me  with  respect  that  tran- 
scended e'enmost  her  affection,  for  I  would  read  to 


68  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

her  every  scrap  of  print  I  could  lay  hand  to,  and  my 
scholarship  was  a  constant  source  of  wonder  to  the 
good  soul.  I  was  a  fortnight's  mystery  to  the  neigh- 
bors, and  then  they  spoke  of  me  as  "  Giles  Truman's 
lad  Matt "  and  treated  me  as  such  thereafter.  Thus 
a  year  went  by  and  I  was  getting  to  chafe  more  and 
more  at  the  even  Hfe  that  I  was  leading  and  be  more 
drawn  than  ever  by  the  sight  of  a  departing  ship. 
Not  a  word  did  I  hear  from  my  aunt  or  any  of  my 
family.  I  did  not  wish  to  think  of  them,  I  despised 
them  so,  from  the  treatment  I  had  received;  but 
what  I  was  then  doing  could  not  last,  I  knew ;  there 
would  come  a  day  when  I  would  step  out  of  the 
harness  that  had  begun  to  gall  me.  There  was 
always  a  demand  for  a  willing  lad  on  shipboard. 

One  fine  morning  I  was  leading  the  old  horse, 
[hauling  a  load  of  baled  goods  to  a  gallease  that 
was  moored  alongside  of  the  stone  dock,]  when  I 
saw  a  tall  man  in  velvet  clothes  talking  to  another, 
evidently  a  seafarer  from  his  costume  and  general 
cut.  I  recognized  my  friend,  Mr.  Blandford,  in 
the  tall  man,  and  as  it  was  a  cold  day,  he  had  over 
his  shoulders  a  heavy  fur  cloak  with  a  huge  clasp 
of  silver  that  fastened  it  at  the  throat. 

As  I  went  by  him,  a  strong  gust  of  wind  blew  in 
from  the  sea,  the  silver  clasps  became  unhooked, 
and  the  cloak  was  whirled  off  before  he  could  grasp 
it.     It  would  surely  have  gone  overboard  had  I  not 


New  Friends  69 

been  there;  I  handed  it  to  him,  and  he  thanked 
me. 

"  Thou  art  spry,  lad,"  he  said,  with  a  laugh. 
"  Salt  water  does  not  improve  otter  fur,  and  here  is 
a  coin  for  thee." 

"  Thank  thee  no,  good  sir,"  I  returned.  "  'Twas 
my  good  fortune  to  be  of  such  slight  service.  Do 
you  not  remember  the  lad  that  you  spoke  to, 
when  you  found  him  weeping  yonder  a  twelfth 
month  ago  ? " 

"Body  o'  me,"  he  returned,  "but  *tis  the  same; 
thou  art  changed,"  and  of  a  truth  I  was. 

He  asked  me  how  I  came  to  be  in  this  employ- 
ment, and  I  told  him  my  story.  In  explanation 
of  his  absence  he  informed  me  that  he  had  been 
detained  longer  than  he  expected  to  have  been  in 
Morocco,  and  he  requested  me  to  come  and  see 
him  the  following  evening.  I  promised  this  and 
adhered  to  it,  although  Dame  Truman  murmured 
at  my  going  out  so  late,  and  just  after  nightfall  I 
knocked  at  his  door. 

I  was  received  in  a  spacious  but  comfortable  room, 
and  Mr.  Blandford,  who  had  risen  upon  my  en- 
trance, showed  me,  with  a  display  of  manner,  to  a 
seat  before  the  fireplace.  He  did  not  begin  to 
speak  at  once,  but  sat  there  looking  at  me 
fixedly;  and  as  I  had  been  taught  to  observe  silence 
in  the  presence  of  my  elders,  I  did  not  open  the 


70  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

conversation.  All  at  once  he  began  with  a  state- 
ment. 

"  You're  a  Romanist,"  said  he. 

"  You  are  mistaken,"  I  returned,  "  or  you  have 
been  misinformed  —  I  am  Protestant." 

"  Very  good,"  said  he  ;  "  art  glad  of  it.  I  have 
been  both." 

"  The  same  holds  true,"  said  I,  "  for  myself  also." 

Mr.  Blandford  looked  at  me  curiously.  "You 
have  had  some  education,  eh  ?  Do  you  write  ? " 
and  then  he  added,  "  Art  sure  thou  art  no  Catholic? " 

"  I  am  Protestant,"  I  replied ;  "  but  I  am  a  fair 
scribe  in  Latin,  French,  and  Spanish." 

"  Oh  !  you  speak  Spanish  p  "  he  exclaimed. 

"  Yes,"  said  I,  "  as  if  'twere  my  native  tongue." 
At  that  he  asked  me  a  few  questions  in  the  lan- 
guage, spoken  badly,  and  I  replied.  I  have  dis- 
covered that  when  people,  who  have  a  leaning 
toward  knowledge,  possess  the  smattering  of  a 
tongue  other  than  their  own,  they  will  exercise  it 
upon  every  opportunity  and  will  not  be  kept  from 
it  by  any  amount  of  stumbling  at  the  outset;  so  the 
rest  of  our  talk  was  in  Spanish.  And  in  this 
language  we  discussed  the  religious  condition  of  our 
minds  principally,  and  then  suddenly  my  friend 
made  a  proposition  to  me  that  was  so  foreign  to 
our  subject  that  I  feared  for  an  instant  that  his 
mind  had  left  him. 


New  Friends  71 

There  was  an  expedition  being  formed,  he  said, 
to  carry  out  a  project  which  interested  him  greatly. 
Some  ships  were  to  sail  from  Plymouth  on  a  cruise 
into  the  Spanish  Main.  Had  I  any  leanings  toward 
adventure  ?  According  to  this  recounting  it  can 
be  seen  that  I  had  indulged  in  some  upon  my  own 
account — I  told  him  I  had. 

"  There  is  a  position,"  he  said,  "  open  to  a  young 
man  qualified  for  it,  gifted  in  languages ;  and  if  you 
care  to  take  it  in  consideration,  I  will  speak  a  word 
to  the  right  people." 

Without  hesitation  I  declared  my  willingness, 
nay,  my  wild  eagerness,  to  go,  even  if  it  were  to  set 
sail  in  the  next  hour  —  indeed,  I  was  like  to  a  hun- 
gry man  told  of  a  feast.  As  I  had  suspected,  he 
had  considered  me  much  older  than  my  years, 
supposing  that  I  was  at  least  nineteen.  There  was 
no  reason  for  me  to  enlighten  him,  I  thought,  and 
before  I  left,  a  bargain  was  struck.  I  had  promised 
to  accompany  him  when  he  next  went  to  Plymouth, 
which  was  to  be  within  a  week. 

Dame  Truman  was  waiting  up  for  me  when  I 
returned.  She  asked  no  question,  but  at  once 
hurried  me  off  to  bed  as  if  the  lateness  of  the  hour 
was  scandalous.  In  the  four  or  five  days  that 
followed  everything  went  on  as  heretofore.  I  did 
not  think  it  would  be  necessary  to  tell  the  Trumans 
as  yet  of  my  planned  departure.     But   I   am  glad 


72  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

to  say  that  when  I  did  leave,  I  did  not  desert  them 
without  explaining.  The  good  woman  was  in  tears 
at  once  when  she  heard  tell  of  my  determination; 
but  Truman  said  nothing  —  perhaps  he  could  think 
of  nothing  to  say,  or  he  was  a  philosopher  mayhap, 
for  all  I  know. 

Mr.  Blandford  had  persisted  in  my  taking  from 
him  some  money  and  had  made  necessary  purchases 
in  the  way  of  clothing  and  some  extras,  which  I 
enclosed  in  a  canvas  bag.  Thursday  morning  we 
set  sail ;  I  had  left  the  good  dame  weeping  in  the 
doorway  of  the  little  house  in  the  alley,  inconsol- 
able that  I  had  refused  to  take  a  small  hoard  of  silver 
that  she  had  tried  to  slip  into  my  bundle,  for  of  course 
I  had  refused  to  accept  a  farthing,  though  my  heart 
was  dull  at  leaving  the  kind  old  folks.  Mr.  Bland- 
ford  had  to  call  me  twice  before  I  stirred  —  I  confess 
frankly  that  there  was  a  lump  in  my  throat. 

Once  free  of  the  land,  the  sailor  habit  of  the  old 
gentleman  returned  to  him.  He  began  a  ceaseless 
pacing  of  the  deck,  and  his  replies  to  my  questions 
were  so  curt,  that  I  went  forward  to  where  the  crew 
were  sitting  and  made  friends  with  a  fine  young 
sailor  who  had  a  scar  the  width  of  your  finger 
slashed  across  his  face.  And  about  it  he  told  me 
a  marvellous  story  in  which  a  woman  (an  Indian 
Princess,  he  informed  me),  a  Portuguese  adven- 
turer, himself,  a  knife,  and  a  bag  of  gold  figured 


New  Friends  73 

prominently,  and  all  became  entangled  after  a  won- 
derful fashion.  I  slept  upon  a  little  shelf  in  the 
after  part  of  the  ship  that  night.  The  next  morn- 
ing we  made  Plymouth  Hoe. 

Going  on  shore  with  my  patron,  we  proceeded  to 
an  inn  named  "  The  Bell  and  Anchor,"  and  as  we 
entered  the  tap-room  four  or  five  bronze-faced  men 
left  a  table  in  the  corner  and  came  forward  with 
hearty  but  respectful  greetings.  I  was  presented 
to  the  company  and  made  my  best  court  bow. 


CHAPTER  VII 

WHEREIN    I   JOIN    THE    TREASURE-SEEKERS 


AS  every  one  whom  I  met  at  this  gather- 
ing has  much  to  do  with  the  real  tale 
that  I  set  out  to  relate,  when  I  took  up 

'  my  pen   in  the  first  place,  and  as   it  is 

my  intention  to  record  the  doings  and  sayings  of 
a  great  man  who  was  there  present,  I  shall  tell  of 
the  company  and  in  short  fashion  describe  its  mem- 
bers ;  especially  the  one  whose  name  and  character 
tinges  most  of  what  I  shall  write  hereinafter. 

"  I  have  great  pleasure,"  said  my  patron,  while 
he  pointed  me  out,  "  in  bringing  here  with  me 
a  young  man  whom  I  think  can  be  of  service 
to  us  all,  and  who  is  anxious  to  cast  in  his  lot  with 
the  rest  and  to  take  what  comes.  I  must  say  that 
despite  his  youth  he  is  a  scholar  of  no  mean  order, 
and  I  take  it  also  that  he  has  the  making  of  a 
sailor  in  him,"  and  with  this  he  presented  me  to 
the  gentlemen  of  the  company,  speaking  their  names, 
although  at  the  moment  he  had  forgotten  to  men- 
tion my  own. 

The  first  to  extend  hand  was   Captain    Francis 

74 


I  join  the  Treasure-seekers  75 

Drake,  then  followed  John  Drake,  a  captain  also,  and 
his  brother  Joseph ;  the  others  were  Master  John 
Oxenham,  Ellis  Hixon,  and  two  young  men  named 
Christopher  Nichols  and  William  Fletcher.  As  I 
sat  down  with  them,  a  cup  of  sack  was  placed  before 
me ;  they  pledged  me,  and  I  responded,  feeling 
much  set  up  at  the  attention.  Mr.  Blandford  and 
Captain  Francis  Drake  were  talking  in  low  tones 
at  the  table's  head,  and  I  thought  from  the  way  both 
were  glancing  at  me,  [although  I  made  believe  not 
to  notice  it,]  that  I  was  the  subject  of  their  speech. 
Suddenly  the  Captain  catching  my  eye  smiled  and 
said  in  a  pleasant,  ringing  tone  :  — 

"  Young  sir,  we  are  right  glad  to  have  you  with 
us,  and  I  speak  for  the  company  ;  "  again  my  health 
was  drunk,  and  every  one  appeared  to  be  in  a  pleas- 
antly eager  frame  of  mind.  I  was  soon  lost,  however, 
in  the  general  conversation  that  followed,  knowing 
nothing  about  the  matters  upon  which  they  touched  ; 
but  I  observed  them  all  closely ;  especially  was  I 
interested  in  Captain  Francis. 

While  not,  strictly  speaking,  handsome,  he  had 
that  peculiar  attraction  that  is  even  more  marked 
in  men  than  grace  or  distinction.  Energy  and 
force  showed  in  his  eye  and  speech ;  he  had  a  high, 
broad  forehead,  a  strong  mouth,  scarcely  hid  by  a 
thick  ruddy  beard ;  his  shoulders  were  of  great  breadth, 
and  every  line  of  him  stood  for  strength  and  natural 


76  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

force.  Some  people  may  talk  loud,  yet  never  be 
heard  or  listened  to ;  this  man  had  the  gift  of  call- 
ing attention  to  his  slightest  utterance  without  an 
effort;  while  he  spoke,  the  others  were  quiet,  and 
his  word  seemed  to  decide  any  question  in  dispute. 
After  spending  a  good  part  of  the  day  together  we 
went  back  to  the  shore  at  sunset ;  there  one  of  the 
younger  men  sent  a  hail  out  across  the  water 
in  the  direction  where  lay  two  sea-going  vessels 
close  together. 

A  boat  left  the  side  of  the  larger  craft,  and  taking 
us  all  on  board,  we  were  rowed  out  from  the  pier 
head.  We  placed  Captain  John  Drake,  with  Mas- 
ters Nichols  and  Fletcher,  on  board  the  smaller  craft 
as  we  passed ;  the  rest  of  us  clambered  over  the  side 
of  the  one  that  lay  farther  out.  I  had  noticed  that 
the  name  of  the  craft  we  first  visited  had  been  the 
Swan^  and  I  heard  one  of  the  company  refer  to 
the  other  as  the  Dragon,  There  was  a  great  deal 
of  difference  in  the  size,  the  latter  being  seventy- 
three  tons  in  burthen,  and  the  former  but  ^wt  and 
twenty.  The  decks  sloped  so  that  until  one  learned 
the  trick,  it  was  hard  to  keep  proper  footing ;  they 
were  much  littered  about  also  with  cordage  and 
bales  and  boxes.  The  rigging,  too,  was  slack,  and 
some  of  the  running  gear  had  been  removed  to 
make  room  for  new.  It  was  plain  that  they  did 
not  intend  to  sail  for  some  time  to  come.     Captain 


I  join  the  Treasure-seekers  77 

Francis  turned  to  me  after  we  had  been  a  few  minutes 
aboard  and  noticed  that  I  was  still  standing  with  my 
bag  under  my  arm,  not  having  the  least  idea  what 
was  expected  of  me,  or  how  to  set  about  any  duties 
that  might  be  mine  —  I  was  in  fact  half  heart-sick. 

"  Go  down  the  ladder  here,  lad,"  he  said,  "  and 
sing  out  for  Farley  ;  and  when  he  comes  tell  him 
who  you  are,  and  that  I  say  he  is  to  find  some 
place  for  you  to  stow  your  belongings  and  to  sleep 
—  and  by  the  same  speaking  I  don't  know  who  you 
are  yourself,"  he  added. 

So  I  told  him  my  name  plainly,  informing  him 
that  my  father,  who  had  come  from  Northampton, 
was  dead,  and  that  I  had  lived  in  Spain  and  France 
with  relatives. 

"  I  will  hear  more  about  you  at  a  later  day," 
said  Captain  Drake,  and  then  he  stopped  himself 
"  Maunsell,  Maunsell !  "  repeated  he ;  "  there  was  an 
officer  of  that  name  with  me  when  I  served  with 
Hawkins,  —  Alleyn  Maunsell ;  he  was  on  board  the 
Minion,  and  fought  well  against  the  Spaniards  at  De 
Ulua." 

"  I  know  naught  of  him,  sir,"  I  replied ;  "  for  I 
know  but  little  of  my  family  or  if  he  might  belong 
to  it." 

As  he  did  not  seem  desirous  to  renew  the  talk,  I 
went  below,  and  sang  out  lustily  for  "  Farley," 
the  way  I  had  heard  an  officer  shout  on  the  Sagita, 


yS  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

Presently  a  short,  squat  figure  scrambled  up  from 
somewhere ;  and  whether  it  was  boy  or  man  I  could 
not  tell. 

"  Aye,  aye,  sir ! "  said  a  shrill,  cracked  voice. 
"  Did  you  call  ?     Who  passed  the  word  for  me  ?  " 

"  I  did,"  I  replied.  "  Captain  Drake's  orders 
are  that  you  shall  find  me  a  place  to  sleep  and  stow 
my  bag." 

With  that,  the  little  man — for  I  perceived  that  he 
was  well  along  in  years  —  picked  up  my  belongings, 
and  I  followed  him  down  another  ladder  to  a  deck 
that  was  scarcely  five  feet  in  head  room,  and  here 
he  pointed  me  out  a  sort  of  shelf  wedged  in  between 
two  deck  beams,  with  a  rough  locker  underneath. 

"The  last  left,"  he  said,  "and  you're  in  great 
luck  to  get  it." 

As  soon  as  I  deposited  my  dunnage  I  once  more 
went  up  on  deck,  and  the  Captain  seeing  me,  ordered 
me  to  come  with  him  to  his  cabin,  and  set  me  to 
work  at  once  copying  out  long  lists  of  ship's  articles. 
He  spoke  rather  well  of  the  neatness  of  my  writ- 
ing, saying  that  he  had  appointed  me  "  Ship's 
Scrivener  and  Interpreter."  (My !  but  I  was  set  up 
over  it.)  From  that  day  henceforth  until  our  sailing 
I  was  busily  employed. 

The  object  of  our  voyage  was  kept  somewhat 
quiet;  but  it  must  have  been  known  and  talked 
about,  for  how  could  so  many  people  who  surely 


I  join  the  Treasure-seekers  79 

knew  of  our  destination  keep  it  a  secret?  Captain 
Drake,  himself,  I  must  confess,  was  great  at  talk, 
and  used  very  often  big  words  and  great  promises ; 
but  as  he  intended  to  fulfil  every  one  and  boasted 
of  nothing  that  he  left  unfulfilled,  even  this  failing 
of  his  waged  but  little  against  his  character;  and 
maybe,  also,  his  youth  and  remarkable  self-reliance 
might  well  account  for  it.  From  Master  Nichols 
I  learned  something  of  the  birth  and  early  life  of 
this  great  man  and  leader,  whose  chronicler  I  now 
become,  in  part,  and  of  whose  friendship  I  have  been 
so  proud. 

There  has  been  much  discussion  as  to  the  fact  of 
his  parentage  being  low  or  humble.  In  my  mind  it 
makes  no  matter.  If  he  did  not  win  for  himself  the 
right  to  a  coat  of  arms,  and  make  up  for  lack  of  ped- 
igree, no  man  ever  did.  His  forefathers  had  lived' 
in  Devonshire.  He  was  the  son  of  Edmund  Drake, 
and  was  born  near  South  Tavistock.  During 
the  reign  of  Henry  the  Eighth,  Edmund  Drake, 
embracing  the  Protestant  religion,  was  obliged 
with  all  his  family  to  fly  that  part  of  the  country. 
So  he  retired  into  Kent,  and  there  he  lived,  in  the 
hull  of  a  ship ;  and  in  this  strange  abiding-place 
many  of  his  children  were  brought  up,  among  them 
the  man  who  was  to  be  the  greatest  sailor  of  Eng- 
land. While  Edward  the  Sixth  was  on  the  throne  the 
elder  Drake  earned  his  bread  by  reading  prayers  to 


8o  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

the  sailors.  He  was  ordained  a  deacon,  and  after- 
ward made  Vicar  of  the  Church  of  Upmore,  on  the 
Medway.  But  he  was  extremely  poor,  and  the 
living  scarcely  provided  food  and  clothing  for  his 
offspring;  so  his  son  Francis  was  indentured  to  a 
neighbor  of  his,  who  was  master  of  a  trading  bark. 
The  boy*s  industry  was  so  great  that  when  his 
master  died  he  left  him  his  little  vessel  as  a  legacy, 
and  Drake,  although  but  a  lad,  carried  on  his  own 
business. 

He  had  made  one  voyage  in  deep  water  with 
Captain  Lovell,  and  had  grown  to  dislike  the  Span- 
iards because  this  expedition  suffered  at  their  hands ; 
so  he  had  joined  forces  with  Sir  John  Hawkins, 
after  selling  his  bark  and  putting  in  all  of  his  fortune 
into  helping  outfit  this  unfortunate  undertaking. 
'Alas  !  all  of  the  bold  seamen  who  took  part  in  the 
enterprise  lost  their  money,  and  many  lives  were 
sacrificed,  as  every  one  remembers,  on  that  event- 
ful day  at  San  Juan  de  Ulua,  where  Drake  had 
succeeded  in  saving  his  ship  from  the  wrath  and 
treachery  of  the  Spaniards  by  what  I  call  good  head- 
work.  Farther  on  in  this  volume  I  intend  to  relate 
how  this  happened,  in  the  words  of  an  eyewitness. 
Now  as  this  had  taken  place  scarcely  four  years 
previous  to  the  time  at  which  I  am  now  writing, 
the  desire  for  revenge  was  still  keen  in  the  Cap- 
tain's mind.     Of  a  certainty  England  was  not  then 


I  join  the  Treasure-seekers  8i 

at  war  with  Spain,  and  friendly  relations  were  kept 
up  'twixt  both  courts ;  but  many  respectable  sub- 
jects of  our  good  Queen  —  men  like  Mr.  Blandford, 
for  instance,  of  worth  and  standing  —  were  found 
who  would  lend  their  assistance  in  adventure,  and 
placed  their  purses  at  young  Captain  Drake's  dis- 
posal. 

I  listened  with  great  attention  to  Philip  Nichols, 
whose  story  I  have  thus  shortened  above,  and 
I  did  not  know,  then,  that  the  narrator  was  a 
preacher,  for  he  resembled  in  habit  and  talk  the  rest 
of  the  young  fortune-hunters  of  good  birth,  —  in 
part,  soldiers,  sailors,  and  gamblers,  —  who  attached 
themselves,  their  swords,  fortunes,  and  brains  to  the 
personal  following  of  Francis  Drake. 

On  the  20th  of  May  I  made  record  that  we  had 
received  on  board  the  frames  of  three  small  pin- 
naces that  had  been  so  cleverly  built  that  they 
could  be  put  together  in  short  order  if  occasion 
demanded.  I  also  remember  setting  down  that  our 
complement  and  crew  were  complete,  numbering 
seventy-three,  men  and  boys ;  and  I  do  not  think 
that,  with  the  exception  of  Farley,  there  was  a  man- 
jack  of  us  over  thirty-five  years  of  age.  Everything 
had  been  placed  on  board  by  the  third  and  twentieth 
of  May,  and  this  day  all  the  crew  worked  like  spiders 
setting  up  the  lower  rigging.  In  the  gray  of  the 
next   morning,  with  a  fair  wind,   we  got   up   our 


82  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

anchors,  and  the  Dragon  leading,  we  made  out  to 
sea. 

And  now  let  us  be  truthful :  despite  the  fact  that 
we  had  two  preachers  with  us  and  began  the  day  with 
prayer,  we  were  pirates  every  one,  from  the  lob- 
lolly boy  and  the  scrivener  to  the  captain,  except 
that  we  did  not  prey  upon  our  own  countrymen, 
and  aimed  only  at  the  Spanish. 

No  one  could  sail  with  Captain  Francis  Drake 
without  becoming  a  seaman ;  there  were  few  idlers 
on  board  either  ship.  I  well  remember  the  talking 
that  we  all  got  in  the  cabin  from  the  Captain  one 
day,  and  there  was  none  who  would  discount  his 
words  by  word  or  look,  though  he  employed  mighty 
strong  figures  of  speech. 

"  I  rule  now,"  he  said,  "  and  any  one  who  gain- 
says me  or  disobeys  my  orders  shall  get  short 
shrift  of  it."  And  he  went  on  to  tell,  then,  what 
he  was  going  to  do  and  how  much  treasure  he  ex- 
pected to  recover.  From  his  talk  I  began  to  gather 
the  opinion  that  one  Englishman  was  worth  ten 
Spaniards,  and  of  a  truth  I  found  little  to  contro- 
vert it  in  my  after  adventures. 


CHAPTER   VIII 

THE  RENDEZVOUS 


~~  lUCH  wonderful  weather  I  have  scarcely 
C^  ^  ever  seen  as  that  we  enjoyed  from  the 
k^^       day   of  sailing    until    we    sighted    land, 

'  which   was  the  eighth  and  twentieth  of 

June.  All  hands  crowded  on  deck,  and  great  was 
the  excitement  as  the  wooded  headland  loomed 
clearer  and  clearer.  It  was  the  island  of  Guade- 
loupe, but  we  held  on  our  course  and  passed  be- 
tween it  and  Dominica,  the  Captain  knowing  well 
his  ground ;  and  ten  days  later  we  came  to  the  exact 
place  that  he  had  intended  to  make,  and  where  we 
were  to  prepare  for  the  carrying  out  of  his  designs. 

He  had  been  here  before,  and  conned  the  ship  to 
her  anchorage,  displaying  the  most  absolute  knowl- 
edge of  currents  and  soundings,  but  the  work  had 
just  begun.  We  were  in  the  midst  of  the  Spanish 
cruising  grounds,  and  time  was  precious. 

The  bay  in  which  we  lay  was  of  exceeding  beauty. 
Captain  Drake  had  well  named  it  Port  Pheasant, 
for  there  was  a  great  abundance  of  that  fine  fowl. 

83 


84  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

The  great  wooded  hills  rose  straight  from  the 
water's  edge,  and  the  narrow  entrance  could  scarcely 
be  marked ;  the  surface  was  calm  as  a  pond,  and 
even  at  great  depth  the  bottom  could  be  seen,  so 
clear  was  the  water.  We  dropped  anchor  and  furled 
sail.  Captain  Drake  called  away  the  dingey,  and 
with  his  brother  John,  Oxenham,  myself,  and  four 
sailors,  we  put  in  for  shore.  The  island  appeared 
to  be  uninhabited,  but  just  as  we  set  foot  on  the 
sand  John  Drake  cried  out,  "  See  there ! "  and 
pointed  to  the  north.  A  thin  column  of  smoke 
like  the  drift  from  a  fog-bank  hung  amid  the 
branches  of  the  trees.  At  once  we  pushed  off 
again  to  the  ships  and  returned  with  the  large  boat 
filled  with  men,  this  time  armed  and  ready  for 
attack.  A  path  overgrown  with  vines  and  bushes 
led  up  to  the  smoke,  but  there  was  no  sign  of  a 
living  thing.  Right  cautiously  indeed  did  we  move 
until  we  came  out  into  a  clearing,  and  there  saw 
that  the  fire  that  had  caused  our  uneasiness  was  in 
the  body  of  a  great  tree  that  lay  upon  the  ground. 
It  had  charred  it  for  a  length  of  mayhap  thirty  feet, 
and  was  burning  without  flame  after  the  way  of 
damp  peat.  How  long  it  had  thus  existed  was 
hard  to  tell  —  a  fortnight  or  more  doubtless.  But 
what  now  met  our  eyes  was  a  large  leaden  plate 
nailed  to  the  trunk  of  a  stripped  pine.  The  Cap- 
tain tore  it  down,  and  as  we  crowded   about  we 


The  Rendezvous  85 

found  that  it  bore  an  inscription  addressed  to  none 
other  than  himself. 

"  Ho  !  "  cried  he.  "  Here's  news  !  and  small 
comfort ! "  After  his  brother  had  seen  it,  it  was 
handed  me,  and  I  read  as  follows :  — 

Captain  Drake  :  If  you  fortune  to  come  to  this  port, 
make  haste  away !  For  the  Spaniards  that  you  had  with 
you  here  last  year,  have  bewrayed  the  place  and  taken 
away  all  that  you  left  here.  I  depart  hence,  this  present 
7th  of  July,  1572. 

Your  very  loving  friend, 

John  Garret. 

"So  Master  Garret  is  still  afloat,"  quoth  the 
Captain.  "  Well,  if  the  dons  have  took  everything, 
they  will  not  return,  and  for  that  matter  neither 
will  honest  John.  We  are  safe  from  being  troubled. 
Here  we  rest !  '* 

So  we  went  back  to  the  ships,  where  the  carpenter 
was  employed  in  breaking  out  the  frames  of  the 
pinnaces  from  the  hold  and  casting  loose  the  larger 
timbers  from  their  lashings  on  deck.  John  Drake 
was  set  on  the  beach  to  lay  out  a  fort,  and  the  crew 
worked  getting  the  frames  overboard,  in  order  to 
set  about  putting  them  together  on  shore.  For 
three  days  we  labored. 

I  had  made  great  friends  with  a  young  man, 
a  gentleman's  son.  Master  Christopher  Ceely,  and 


86  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

he  and  I  were  sitting  in  the  shade  of  a  sail  that  had 
been  spread  to  keep  off  the  heat  of  the  sun  one 
afternoon,  when  suddenly  one  of  the  men,  who  was 
working  at  something  aloft,  shouted  out  and  pointed 
to  the  mouth  of  the  harbor. 

There,  coming  slowly  in,  was  a  large  bark  fol- 
lowed by  a  caravel  that  was  Spanish  at  a  glance, 
and  a  smaller  vessel  just  to  be  seen  astern  of  her, 
with  one  mast  and  a  great  mainsail,  —  a  rig  that  was 
surely  Spanish  also. 

A  few  of  the  crew  were  at  work  in  the  waist  of 
the  ship.  The  other  men  were  on  the  beach  with 
most  of  the  people  at  this  moment,  including  the 
Captain  and  both  his  brothers. 

The  Swan  lay  farther  south  and  ofF-shore,  and 
on  board  of  her  out  of  her  crew  of  twenty-six  there 
was  but  one  man  ;  [there  were  probably  eight  of  us 
on  board  the  Dragon^  The  approach  of  the  vessels 
had  been  hidden  by  the  headland ;  but  now  it 
looked  as  if  we  had  been  caught  in  a  trap,  as  they 
surely  would  be  within  gunshot  before  our  crew 
could  possibly  be  got  on  board.  The  shout  that 
Ceely  and  I  both  gave  had  called  the  attention  of 
the  men  in  the  waist,  and  one  of  them  running 
forward  discharged  a  culverin  that  awoke  the  echoes 
of  the  hill  and  stopped  the  work  ashore. 

Immediately  there  was  a  great  confusion.  The 
little  boat  that  had  brought  them  from  the  ship 


The  Rendezvous  87 

would  not  hold  the  entire  party,  having  made  sev- 
eral trips,  and  there  appeared  to  be  some  contro- 
versy who  should  get  into  it,  one  man  taking  hold 
of  the  gunwale,  —  for  she  had  been  left  high  and 
dry  on  the  beach  by  the  fall  of  the  tide,  —  then 
another  man  would  push  him  away,  and  the  result 
was  that  it  appeared  as  if  none  would  come  to  our 
assistance.  Ceely,  knowing  more  about  such  mat- 
ters, and  being  of  higher  rank  than  the  carpenter, 
had  taken  command  of  our  ship,  and  we  had 
loaded  all  the  guns  in  the  broadside  as  quickly  as 
possible. 

The  bark  that  led  the  incoming  vessels  had 
hauled  her  wind  as  if  waiting  for  the  others  to  come 
up  with  her,  or  as  if  doubtful  of  what  best  to  do. 
The  single  man  left  as  anchor-watch  on  board  the 
Swan  had  displayed  good  judgment  in  a  measure, 
for  he  had  severed  the  cable  with  the  blow  of  an 
axe,  and  the  little  vessel  was  now  drifting  nearer  in 
the  direction  of  her  consort.  All  at  once  I  heard 
a  voice  shout  from  shoreward.  The  quarter-boat, 
loaded  down  within  a  finger's  reach  of  foundering, 
was  approaching ;  but  the  hail  had  not  come  from 
her,  but  from  the  water  nearer  to  us,  and  look- 
ing over  the  side,  I  perceived  a  man  swimming,  and 
almost  a  half  musquet-shot  away  were  two  others. 
Never  have  I  seen  before  or  since  a  human  being  go 
through  the  water  the  way  this  man  made  headway. 


88  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

It  almost  boiled  under  his  chin  as  he  took  his  great 
full  arm  strokes. 

"  Hoist  up  the  flag/'  he  cried,  "  and  get  out  the 
nettings  ! " 

Then  I  perceived  that  it  was  the  Captain  himself, 
who  had  run  down  on  a  little  sandspit,  [being  some 
distance  from  the  launching  party,]  and  had  taken 
the  shortest  way  to  get  on  board  his  vessel.  In 
order  to  be  less  hampered  he  had  cast  aside  his 
clothing,  and  thus  he  clambered  over  the  rail,  glisten- 
ing wet,  panting  and  shouting  in  one  breath.  Now 
I  have  seen  many  men  standing  as  God  made  them, 
but  never  such  a  one  as  this.  The  muscles  of  his 
back  and  shoulders  were  tremendous ;  he  may 
not  have  been  the  largest  man  aboard  ship,  but  as 
you  saw  him  standing  there  you  would  have  sworn 
he  could  have  taken  any  two  of  the  crew  and  torn 
them  to  pieces.  But  he  was  as  unconscious  as  if 
he  had  on  a  full  suit  of  armor,  and  running  up  the 
slope  of  the  quarterdeck  to  the  top  of  the  stern 
castle  he  measured  the  distance  of  the  strange 
vessels,  and  that  of  our  approaching  boat.  She  had 
fourteen  men  in  her ;  but  the  flag  had  now 
climbed  to  the  reach  of  the  halyards,  and  a  sudden 
puflF  of  air  tossed  it  out.  A  small  ensign  was  shown 
above  the  taflfrail  at  the  same  instant ,  on  board  the 
leading  stranger. 

"  English,  by  Saint  George  !  "  exclaimed  the  Cap- 


The  Rendezvous  89 

tain.  "  I  thought  from  the  way  she  acted  she  was 
neither  French  nor  Spanish."  Then  he  roared 
down  the  transom  for  Farley  to  lay  out  his  best 
embroidered  doublet. 

It  was  a  minute  or  more  before  the  other  swimmers, 
who  proved  to  be  Master  Hixon  and  Joseph 
Drake,  clambered  over  the  sides.  Some  time  after 
their  arrival,  the  loaded  shore-boat  made  fast  to  the 
gangway  and  the  excited  men  tumbled  inboard.  In 
order  that  we  should  not  be  caught  napping,  the 
crew  was  sent  to  stations,  and  their  movements 
were  directed  by  Drake,  who,  with  the  assistance  of 
Farley,  was  robing  himself  on  the  quarterdeck. 

All  eyes  were  fixed  on  the  stranger  who  was  making 
in  close,  shortening  sail,  and  was  soon  within  speak- 
ing distance.  A  man  mounted  the  railing  and  pro- 
claimed in  good  English  that  his  ship  was  the  Lion, 
of  the  Isle  of  Wight,  that  her  captain^s  name  was 
James  Ranse,  and  that  it  was  he  speaking.  Drake's 
return  to  this  was  an  order  to  anchor  at  some  dis- 
tance and  come  on  board  at  once. 

But  not  until  all  three  had  dropped  their  anchors 
was  our  warlike  attitude  changed,  and  then  a  small 
boat  from  the  Lion  was  seen  approaching,  and  Cap- 
tain Drake  and  the  rest  of  the  gentlemen  went  down 
to  the  gangway  to  receive  our  visitor.  He  was  a 
little  hairy  man,  with  pock-marked  features,  dressed 
in   a    gorgeously    braided    cape-coat   and    a    huge 


90  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

feathered  hat ;  [spoils  of  war,  I  afterwards  found 
out,]  a  beautiful  Toledo  blade  with  a  jewelled  hilt 
hung  at  his  side.  He  saluted  us  as  he  stepped  on 
deck,  accompanied  by  a  tall,  fair-haired  man,  and 
he  accepted  pleasantly  Captain  Drake's  invitation 
to  partake  of  a  glass  of  wine.  As  our  leader  in- 
cluded us  also,  we  all  followed  and  were  presented 
by  name  in  turn  to  the  gorgeous  little  sailor,  who 
told  us,  with  his  eyes  twinkling,  that  the  cruising- 
grounds  were  fruitful,  the  spoils  were  rich.  With 
his  little  bark  of  but  sixty  tons  he  had  made  several 
fine  prizes,  among  them  being  the  two  vessels  that 
accompanied  him ;  the  caravel  he  had  named  the 
Lioness^  and  the  little  sloop  the  Whelp. 

"  I  have  several  men  with  me  who  have  served 
with  you,'*  he  said,  "  and  my  leftenant,  now  in  com- 
mand of  the  Lioness^  was  with  you  in  the  Minion'' 
He  turned,  and  indicating  me  with  his  hand,  added, 
"  He  has  the  same  name  as  this  young  gentle- 
man,— Maunsell,  —  and  his  first  name  is  Alleyn." 

"  Oh,  I  know  him  well,"  Drake  responded,  —  "a 
fine  and  gallant  sailor,  and  mayhap  a  kinsman  of 
our  young  friend." 

I  had  told  nothing  of  my  story  to  any  one  on 
board  the  Dragon^  so  I  merely  acquiesced  to  the 
suggestion  with  a  nod  of  the  head.  A  few  minutes 
later  Captain  Drake  sent  me  ashore  in  the  shallop 
to  inform  his  brother  John,  who  had  now  appeared 


The  Rendezvous  91 

upon  the  shore,  having  returned  from  his  hunting- 
trip.  I  also  took  with  me  as  many  men  as  I  could, 
to  help  the  rest  in  putting  the  finishing  touches  to 
the  pinnaces.  The  single  man  aboard  the  Swan 
had  again  done  well,  for  when  she  had  drifted  to  a 
point  just  astern  of  us,  he  had  let  go  of  her  spare 
anchor,  and  she  was  riding  there  in  safety.  He 
proved  afterward  to  have  been  John  Oxenham,  who, 
having  been  ailing,  had  been  left  on  board.  That 
night  we  got  all  three  pinnaces  into  the  water. 

The  next  day  we  stretched  the  sail  and  divided 
the  crews  of  both  the  Swan  and  the  Bragon  to  make 
the  complements  of  the  small  boats.  There  had 
been  a  conference  going  on  between  Captain  Ranse 
and  our  Captain  and  his  brother,  most  of  the  day, 
and  by  evening  they  had  reached  a  conclusion. 
We  were  informed  upon  our  joining  the  ship  that 
Ranse  and  his  company  were  to  become  adventurers 
with  us  under  some  arrangement  of  shares. 

On  the  20th  day  of  July  we  set  sail,  I  being 
attached  to  the  first  pinnace,  which  was  in  command 
of  Drake  himself,  Captain  Ranse  being  given  the 
command  of  the  three  ships  and  the  caravel. 

Everything  had  been  done  with  the  utmost  care, 
the  outfitting  of  the  pinnaces  being  looked  after  by 
Drake  himself.  I  may  say  it  without  false  modesty, 
that  the  Captain  had  taken  a  strong  fancy  to  me, 
not  only  for  the  reason  that  I  was  always  with  him 


92  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

and  apparently  a  glutton  for  work,  but  for  the 
reason,  also,  that  I  was  not  behindhand  in  feats  of 
strength  or  agility,  despite,  as  I  say,  my  youth. 
My  few  months  of  hard  work  had  wondrously  im- 
proved my  figure ;  I  was  growing  up  to  my  hands 
and  feet,  and  there  were  not  over  five  of  the  whole 
company  who  were  taller  than  I.  For  two  days  we 
sailed  along  easily,  and  I  heard  much  speculation 
indulged  in  as  to  our  probable  destination ;  but 
Drake  kept  his  own  counsel,  and  sat  there  in  the 
stern  sheets,  his  blue  eyes  dancing  with  a  strange 
light,  and  a  smile  continually  on  his  lips.  The 
prospect  of  danger  or  adventure,  to  him,  acted  like 
a  refreshing  draught.  The  worst  possible  torture 
that  he  could  have  undergone  would  have  been 
luxurious  confinement,  with  nothing  to  do.  I  was 
sitting  close  by  him,  when  he  bent  toward  me,  at 
the  same  time  saying,  in  a  low  voice :  — 

"We're  bound  for  Nombre  de  Dios,  and  Tm 
going  to  give  you  something  to  look  at,  lad ;  aye, 
and  as  much  gold  and  silver  as  your  broad  young 
shoulders  can  carry." 

He  gave  me  a  playful  pinch  that  almost  made 
me  wince,  and  then  laughed  quietly  to  himself. 
The  third  day  our  kindly  wind  died  down,  and  we 
took  to  the  oars,  at  which  we  labored  in  turn  for  ten 
hours.  Drake,  in  his  eagerness,  showed  no  mercy 
on  his  men.     If  they  showed  any  signs  of  failing, 


The  Rendezvous  93 

he  cajoled  and  bantered  them  into  their  extreme 
effort,  and  though  we  were  the  largest  and  heaviest 
pinnace,  he  kept  us  in  the  lead,  and  we  overtook 
and  passed  the  ships  that  had  outsailed  us. 

Late  in  the  evening  we  headed  for  an  island  for 
which  our  leader  had  been  looking ;  known  as  the 
Island  of  Pinas,  and  we  rowed  along  the  sandy- 
beach  for  about  half  a  league  before  we  came  to  a 
promontory  beyond  which  the  Captain  said  we  would 
find  a  snug  harbor.  It  was  as  he  proclaimed.  But, 
as  we  came  about  the  point,  all  eager  to  land  and 
stretch  our  limbs,  we  saw  that  there  were  two 
vessels  —  small  galleys  with  one  mast  —  moored 
close  to  the  shore.  Laying  back  on  our  oars,  we 
made  for  them ;  and  using  caution,  boarded  them 
without  our  approach  being  observed.  We  found 
the  crew,  who  were  all  negroes,  with  the  exception 
of  one  man,  busy  at  their  evening  meal.  Great  was 
their  surprise. 

I  addressed  them  in  Spanish,  proclaiming  that 
we  did  not  intend  to  harm  them,  and  the  Captain 
selecting  two  of  the  most  intelligent,  I  began  to 
question  them,  for  we  had  found  out  that  they  had 
come  from  the  town  of  Nombre  de  Dios,  which  is 
but  four  or  five  days*  good  sailing  to  the  westward. 
The  news  that  we  learned  was  not  encouraging. 
These    negroes,  who  were   all   slaves,  stated   that, 


94 


Drake  and  His  Yeomen 


owing  to  the  warfare  that  was. being  waged  between 
the  Spaniards  and  a  race  of  warlike  people,  half- 
black  and  half-Indian,  the  town  was  exceedingly- 
well  prepared  for  defence  and  guarded  at  all  points. 
Now  as  the  Captain  had  been  counting  upon  their 
apathy  and  general  indolence  for  a  complete  surprise, 
this  disturbed  him,  and  he  swore  roundly.  But 
it  made  no  possible  difference  in  his  determination ; 
for  but  a  few  minutes  later  I  heard  him  declaring 
in  a  loud  voice  that  he  had  just  found  out  that  the 
time  was  most  propitious  for  descent  on  the  Spanish 
stronghold,  as  they  had  allowed  their  defences  to 
become  useless  from  neglect.  This  was  but  to 
encourage  those  about  him,  and  yet  it  evinced  his 
character  also.  The  harder  a  thing  was  to  do,  the 
easier,  the  way  he  looked  at  it  with  his  sanguine 
mind,  because  it  required  greater  effort  and  com- 
pleter preparation,  and  at  this  he  was  past  master. 


CHAPTER   IX 

I    DISCOVER    A    RELATIVE 


HE  vessels  under  Ranse  came  in  early 
in  the  morning ;  another  conference  was 
held  while  the  men  were  given  an  hour's 

'  run    on    shore  with   orders  to  assemble 

at  the  call  of  a  trumpet.  I  had  accompanied  the 
Captain  on  board  the  Lion,  and  this  was  the  first 
time  that  I  had  been  on  board  any  of  Ranse's 
ships.  A  big  man  with  a  grizzled  iron-gray  beard 
came  forward  and  greeted  us  most  cordially. 

"  Well  met  indeed,"  cried  Drake,  in  reply,  "  and 
here  is  some  one  who  may  prove  to  be  a  kinsman 
of  yours,  no  doubt."  He  presented  me  by  name, 
calling  the  big  man  '  Alleyn  Maunsell,'  and  as  we 
shook  hands  he  remarked  upon  our  resemblance  to 
one  another. 

Mr.  Maunsell  laid  his  heavy  hand  upon  my 
shoulder.  "  Thy  father's  name,  lad  ? "  he  asked. 
I  told  him,  and  he  led  me  to  one  side,  where  he 
asked  me  one  question  after  another  quickly,  and 
all  the  time  his  eyes  were  searching  my  face  as  if 

95 


96  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

he  were  trying  to  see  the  workings  of  my  mind. 
I  told  him  that  I  was  a  Protestant  of  course,  although 
I  did  not  know  then  the  entire  meaning  or  comfort 
of  deep  religious  thought  and  had  yet  to  learn  it. 
When  I  had  finished,  and  we  were  all  alone,  —  for 
the  Captain  had  gone  below,  —  the  big  man  threw 
his  arms  about  me  and  kissed  me  on  the  forehead. 

"  Beyond  doubt  thou  art  my  nephew ! "  he  ex- 
claimed, and  then  held  me  off  at  arm's  length  and 
surveyed  me  over  again.  I  did  not  know  then,  that 
at  this  first  recognition  all  his  castles  of  hope  had 
tumbled  into  dust;  but  it  was  so.  It  had  been 
reported  that  I  had  died  in  Spain,  and  I,  alone, 
stood  between  him  and  the  estates  and  titles.  Every- 
thing had  been  made  ready  for  him  to  enter  into 
possession  of  both  upon  his  return  to  England. 

The  conference  in  the  cabin  lasted  for  hours,  and 
must  have  been  quite  stormy,  although  I  know  not 
exactly  what  passed;  but  I  could  hear  the  Captain's 
voice  ringing  out  every  now  and  then  like  the  report 
of  a  culverin,  and  all  the  time  my  uncle  and  myself 
were  busily  employed  learning  of  one  another,  and 
from  this  we  came  to  speak  of  Drake. 

"  There  have  been  hard  stories  told  of  him,"  said 
my  Uncle  Alleyn,  as  I  shall  now  call  him,  "  but 
believe  them  not.  I  was  with  him  at  Ulua,  when 
we  both  served  under  Hawkins ;  hast  heard  of  the 
aflfair  ? " 


I   Discover  a  Relative  97 

"  But  by  name,"  I  replied ;  "  I  know  naught  of 
the  circumstances." 

"  I  was  on  board  the  MinioHy'  quoth  my  uncle, 
"  and  know  whereof  I  speak,  for  the  whole  thing 
passed  beneath  my  eyes,  and  contrary  to  Hawkins's 
opinion  Captain  Drake  acted  with  both  wisdom  and 
bravery." 

"  Wilt  thou  tell  me  of  it  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  I  am  not  much  at  yarn  spinning,"  he  responded ; 
"but  I  have  a  true  document  in  my  possession, 
written  by  Hawkins  himself,  and  I  will  lend  it  to 
you.  It  tells  shortly  and  in  clear  words  of  our 
doings,  and  much  better  than  I  could,"  he  added, 
"  in  my  own  poor  way,  for  I  am  no  scholar.  But 
he  does  small  justice  to  your  Captain." 

This  promise  he  redeemed,  and  I  shall  tell  of  it 
hereafter  as  it  is  well  in  the  province  of  this  narra- 
tive. Our  talk  was  interrupted  by  the  Captain 
appearing  on  deck,  with  his  arm  slipt  through  that 
of  Ranse  in  friendly  fashion.  Whatever  may  have 
been  the  points  he  had  insisted  upon,  he  must  have 
carried  them  all,  for  he  was  in  a  good  humor  and 
smiling. 

My  uncle,  advancing,  proclaimed  that  our  rela- 
tionship had  been  assured,  at  which  Drake  laughed 
and  shook  hands  with  both  of  us,  and  Ranse  did 
the  same. 

Cunning  power  did  Captain  Francis  Drake  pos- 


98  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

sess  over  men  when  they  had  once  given  in  to 
the  sway  of  his  spirit,  for  the  commander  of  the 
Lion  was  apparently  in  his  power.  He  acted  as 
if  on  one  of  his  own  vessels,  called  for  the  ship's 
trumpeter,  and  bidding  him  to  mount  the  fore- 
castle there  to  blow  a  certain  call.  At  the  sound 
we  could  see  the  men  joining  together  on  the  shore, 
so  bidding  farewell  to  my  uncle,  I  entered  the 
shallop  with  the  Captain,  and  we  rowed  off  to  the 
large  pinnace. 

It  was  noon  of  the  next  day  before  we  set 
sail,  the  shallop  having  been  ordered  to  be  one  of 
our  little  fleet,  thus  making  four  vessels.  Captain 
Ranse  was  left  behind  with  the  ships  and  the  pris- 
oners ;  but  we  took  a  draft  of  twenty  of  his  men 
with  us,  he  being  ordered  to  land  the  prisoners  on 
the  mainland,  where  they  could  either  join  the  Cim- 
meroons,  as  the  warlike  freemen  were  called ;  or, 
if  they  preferred  to  remain  as  slaves,  proceed  to 
Nombre  de  Dios  through  the  wilderness,  a  journey 
of  great  difficulty  and  hardships  that  would  con- 
sume a  month ;  so  they  could  not  possibly  bear 
information  of  our  approach. 

There  were  fifty -three  of  our  men  from  the  Swan 
and  the  Facha^  [for  thus  Captain  Drake  had  renamed 
the  Dragon  for  a  reason  of  his  own].  Thus  the 
whole  expedition  numbered  seventy-four,  all  told, 
including  our  commander.     The  three  pinnaces  had 


I  Discover  a  Relative 


99 


been  named  the  Minion,  the  Eion,  and  the  Lion; 
the  shallop  was  referred  to  as  such,  but  she  was 
almost  the  size  of  our  own  craft. 

Every,  one  was  in  high  spirits,  and  with  a  fair 
wind  and  smooth  water  we  bore  away  to  the  west- 
ward, and  long  before  nightfall  the  island  had 
sunk  below  the  horizon.  So  we  sailed  on  until  on 
the  fifth  day  when  we  were  about  five  and  twenty 
leagues  from  the  Island  of  Pinas ;  here  we  landed 
on  another  island  that  had  a  low,  sandy  beach,  upon 
which  we  drew  up  the  pinnaces,  and  so  close  were 
we  to  the  trees  that  we  moored  them  to  the  trunks, 
so  that  the  tide  currents,  which  ran  swift  here, 
should  not  sweep  them  away.  It  was  in  the  cool 
of  the  morning,  and  the  air  was  filled  with  a  chat- 
tering and  calling  of  the  awakening  birds  and 
beasts. 

The  boxes  and  arm  chests  were  carried  on  shore 
and  broken  open,  and  as  I  had  made  a  list  of  every- 
thing they  contained  under  the  Captain^s  direction, 
who  looked  out  for  everything,  I  may  well  state 
that  nothing  had  been  forgotten,  the  armament  of 
the  force  consisting  of  the  following  :  — 

There  were  six  targets,  six  fire  pikes,  twelve 
pikes,  twenty-four  muskets  and  calivers,  sixteen 
bows  of  the  best  selected  English  yew,  six  partizans, 
and  two  drums,  and  two  trumpets.  No  one  wore 
armor   except   the    Captain,  who    had    on    a   light 


lOO  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

corslet,  and  more  than  this  I  have  never  seen  him 
wear.  Some  of  the  men  had  steel  head-pieces,  but 
the  most  of  them  had  but  their  leather  doublets 
and  studded  belts  for  protection.  The  ^  bowmen 
had  been  selected  before  the  expedition  had  left 
England  on  account  of  their  expertness ;  yet  Drake 
had  found  time  to  make  sailors  of  them  also,  but 
the  bow  is  essentially  a  weapon  for  land  fighting. 
The  Captain  sifted  the  men  into  shape,  and  the 
party  was  divided  into  three  detachments :  one 
under  charge  of  his  brother  John,  who  had  Oxen- 
ham  with  him  as  second  in  command ;  the  other 
was  given  to  Ellis  Hixon  and  Joseph  Drake ; 
and  the  third  was  commanded  by  Drake  himself. 
Hour  after  hour  we  were  drilled  in  the  hot  sun 
up  and  down  the  beach,  —  the  drummers  practis- 
ing their  marches,  and  the  trumpeters  their  calls, 
awakening  the  echoes  of  the  forest  and  silencing 
the  shrieks  of  the  brilliantly  plumaged  parrots  and 
other  birds  that  fluttered  in  the  tree-tops.  The 
sun  was  beating  down  with  such  a  fierce  heat  before 
noon,  that  we  were  compelled  to  give  over  and 
sought  the  shelter  of  the  shaded  woods,  and  there 
we  ate  the  first  meal  we  had  that  day  and  refreshed 
ourselves  with  the  cooling  waters  from  a  spring.  I 
could  not  get  the  strange  happening  of  the  day 
before  out  of  my  head,  and  I  regretted  bitterly  that 
my  uncle  was  not  with  us,  for  I  now  knew  that  I 


I  Discover  a  Relative  loi 

was  not  alone  in  the  world  and  I  felt  sure  that  I  had 
discovered  a  trusty  friend  and  benefactor.  I  had 
little  time  to  think  over  my  future  affairs,  however ; 
there  was  too  much  to  do  in  the  present  that  occu- 
pied my  mind. 

In  the  afternoon  we  were  called  to  attention,  and 
everything  was  again  inspected  to  see  that  nothing 
had  been  displaced ;  then,  shoving  off  the  pinnaces, 
we  set  sail  in  a  southwesterly  direction. 


CHAPTER  X 


AT     THE     SPANISH     GATES 


S  we  skirted  the  mainland,  I  could  see 
that  the  Captain  was  keeping  a  sharp 
lookout.     In  the  whole  company  there 

'  were  but  two  there  who  had  ever  sailed 

these  waters,  and  the  rest  of  us  were  green  hands, 
who  knew  little  of  what  was  before.  Not  a  sign 
of  a  habitation  had  we  seen  nor  the  figure  of  a 
human  being.  All  at  once  Drake  arose  and,  shading 
his  eyes  from  the  glare  of  the  setting  sun,  pointed. 

"  There  lies  the  river,"  he  said,  and  he  ordered 
the  steersman  to  head  nearer  into  shore. 

For  a  long  time  we  could  discern  no  difference  in 
the  line  of  the  coast,  which  seemed  an  unbroken 
stretch  of  green  down  to  the  water's  edge ;  but  at 
last  we  saw  a  break,  and,  as  we  came  in  close,  we 
perceived  that  a  little  river  there  debouched  into 
the  sea.  How  the  Captain  could  have  remembered 
all  his  bearings  and  recognized  the  landmarks  is 
more  than  I  can  understand ;  but  he  had  a  peculiar 
gift  for  this,  and  I  have  never  known  him  to  for- 
get a  face,  a  name,  or  a  locality,  and  this  is  one  of 


At  the  Spanish  Gates  103 

the  powers  of  leadership.  Passing  the  mouth  of 
the  river,  we  held  on  so  close  inshore  that  we  missed 
several  reefs  as  if  by  miracle,  and  dusk  still  found  us 
on  our  course.  All  at  once  one  of  the  men  in  the 
bow  cried  out  that  he  saw  a  light,  and  sure  enough 
there  it  was  straight  ahead ;  but  how  far  off  might 
be  hard  to  state.  Orders  were  given  to  drop  our 
anchors,  and  for  an  hour  or  more  we  waited  for 
darkness  to  set  in.  And  dark  indeed  it  was,  for  the 
clouds  hid  the  wonderful  display  of  stars  that  glow 
in  this  latitude  with  wonderful  brilliance,  and  the 
moon  would  not  rise  until  shortly  before  daybreak. 
The  light  that  we  had  seen  had  now  disappeared, 
and  there  was  nothing  to  guide  us.  But  the  little 
Minion  raised  her  anchor  and  pushed  out  ahead ; 
the  other  pinnaces  and  the  shallop  were  made  fast 
astern  with  stout  ropes  so  that  they  would  keep  in 
line,  and  if  one  grounded,  the  other  could  assist  her 
in  getting  off  again.  Word  having  been  passed  for 
strict  silence,  we  crept  ahead  under  the  oars,  listen- 
ing between  every  stroke  for  the  sound  of  the  lap- 
ping of  the  waves  against  the  shore,  which  was  our 
only  way  of  keeping  in  our  course.  It  may  have 
been  two  leagues  that  we  traversed  thus,  feeling  our 
way,  and  then  suddenly  the  word  was  whispered  back 
from  the  Minion  for  the  anchors  to  be  lowered 
quietly.  We  were  evidently  at  the  mouth  of  a  bay 
or  harbor,  and  straining  our  eyes  we  could  perceive 


I04  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

dimly,  the  form  of  a  headland  rising  against  the  sky. 
Once  or  twice  distant  lights  appeared  to  flash  be- 
yond the  point.  Drake  placed  his  hands  upon  my 
knee  as  I  sat  next  to  him,  half  shivering,  for  the  air 
was  cold. 

"  There  lies  the  town,  master  scholar,"  he  said, 
"and  no  mistaking;  enough  treasure  is  hidden 
there  to  make  us  all  rich  men." 

That  there  was  any  danger  in  our  reaching  for  it 
never  seemed  to  enter  his  mind.  He  was  smiling 
quietly  as  a  joker  doeth  to  himself  Then  he  or- 
dered all  hands  to  rest  as  easily  as  they  might,  so 
that  they  would  be  fresh  for  the  work  that  lay 
ahead  of  them,  and  with  that  laid  him  down.  But 
I  do  not  think  that  any  felt  the  least  temptation  to 
indulge  in  sleep.  They  were  all  whispering  and 
consulting  one  with  another,  and  I,  going  for- 
ward in  order  to  give  the  Captain  more  room  to 
stretch  out,  heard  some  of  the  talk.  As  I  have  said, 
they  were  all  young  men,  and  darkness  and  long 
waiting  dampen  the  ardor,  especially  if  the  air  be 
chilled. 

"They  say  that  the  town  yonder  be  as  big  as 
Plymouth,"  quoth  a  young  fellow  whose  teeth  were 
chattering  in  his  head. 

"And  full,  no  doubt,  of  armed  men  well  prepared," 
put  in  another.  "  I  like  not  the  job.  I  would  that 
I  were  in  the  tap-room  of  the  Bell  and  Anchor." 


At  the  Spanish  Gates  105 

"  I  would  be  satisfied,"  spoke  up  the  third,  "  if 
I  had  the  deck  of  a  ship  under  my  feet,  for  of  a 
truth  I  like  not  this  land  fighting." 

"  Craven  hearts  !  "  spoke  up  a  gruflT  voice,  "  if  you 
had  not  stomach  for  such  business,  why  should  you 
embark  in  it  ?  Regard  the  Captain  ;  he  sleeps  tran- 
quilly." 

It  appeared  thus  as  the  man  said ;  but  it  was  not 
so,  for  Drake  had  overheard  all  that  was  passing, 
and  as  yet  said  naught ;  but  such  a  strange  thing  is 
fear  that  it  increases  with  suspense  until  it  may 
gain  the  mastery  of  brave  men.  To  my  amaze- 
ment, I  overheard  a  whisper  close  at  hand  from 
some  one  in  the  darkness  that  I  could  not  recognize, 
proposing  that  they  should  take  possession  of  the 
pinnace,  and,  willy-nilly,  set  her  bow  to  the  northward 
and  give  up  an  enterprise  so  full  of  peril.  Now  I 
must  confess  that  I  would  have  welcomed  such  a 
departure ;  for  my  own  courage,  which  was  that  of 
entire  ignorance,  was  oozing  from  me.  The  man 
who  had  reproved  the  early  speakers  held  his  peace, 
and  the  fiercesome  gabble  increased.  It  needed  but 
a  little  to  inflame  it  into   loud  speech  and  action. 

I  heard  voices,  too,  coming  from  the  other  boats 
that  lay  close  by  us,  and  as  I  learned  afterward 
their  crews  had  grown  into  the  same  state,  but  much 
worse. 

A  faint  gray  streak   appeared   in   the  east,  the 


io6  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

Captain  stirred  himself,  and  standing  up  gave  a  short 
loud  laugh,  the  very  sound  jof  which  strengthened 
my  heart. 

"  Ho  !  my  brave  lads,"  he  cried  heartily.  "  Here 
Cometh  the  dawn,  and  now  prepare  for  it.  Til 
warrant  you  that  every  man  shall  have  an  ingot  of 
gold  on  each  shoulder  and  a  pouch  full  of  jewels  in 
his  belt  before  nightfall.  On  board  the  Lion 
there ! "  he  shouted  to  the  nearest  pinnace.  "  Brother 
mine,  stir  out  your  men  !  Come,  my  brave  bullies  ! 
Get  up  that  anchor  and  get  out  your  oars!  Til 
wager  my  share  'gainst  a  pewter  tankard,  the 
Spaniards  are  all  asleep." 

These  words  had  marvellous  effect,  they  nipped 
the  whisperings  and  closed  the  seditious  mouths. 
The  men,  who  were  in  another  moment  at  the  point 
of  joining  in  a  mutiny,  were  stirred  into  action.  A 
sound  as  if  it  were  a  sigh  of  relief  came  from  the 
whole  crew,  a  few  laughed  eagerly.  Then  a  tall  figure 
arose  in  the  stern  sheets  of  the  Lion,  that  had  drawn 
up  alongside. 

"  Let  us  pray  to  God,"  said  a  high-pitched, 
melodious  voice.  It  was  young  Fletcher,  the  min- 
ister. The  men  bowed  their  heads,  and  there  in 
the  darkness  he  made  a  fervent  prayer,  asking  for 
the  protection  of  the  Almighty,  and  begging  for 
success.  When  he  sat  down,  out  tossed  the  great 
oars,  and  everywhere   I   could   hear  the  jingle   of 


At  the  Spanish  Gates  107 

steel  and  the  sharp  twanging  as  the  archers  tested 
their  bowstrings.  It  did  not  appear  to  be  the 
same  company  that  a  few  minutes  since  had  been 
on  the  verge  of  cowardice.  But  I  have  noticed 
that  most  all  strong  men,  who  are  used  to  carrying 
arms,  will  be  willing  to  fight  if  they  trust  their 
leader  and  see  that  he  counteth  not  the  odds  against 
him. 


CHAPTER   XI 

NOMBRE    DE    DIOS 

ITH  Strong,  full  strokes,  the  Minion 
leading,  the  little  fleet  passed  the  head- 
land and  entered  the  bay.  The  gray- 
light  broadened,  and  a  pale  silver  disk 
crept  up  out  of  the  sea.  It  was  not  the 
dawn,  but  the  rising  moon  that  bewitched  the  water 
astern  of  us  into  a  dancing,  shimmering  wake.  It 
would  be  a  full  hour  before  day  would  begin,  but  in 
the  spreading  light  objects  were  plainly  visible ;  the 
roll  of  the  heavy  oars,  as  the  men  lay  back  at  them, 
must  have  raised  some  disturbance  and  been  a 
warning  of  our  approach  had  any  one  been  listening 
for  it.  And  right  ahead  of  us  we  could  discern  a 
ship,  there  were  active  figures  moving  on  board  of 
her;  she  was  slowly  turning,  and  we  could  make 
out  that  she  was  creeping  up  to  her  anchor.  We 
had  been  sighted ! 

There  was  no  use  of  further  caution.  Drake 
began  to  encourage  the  rowers,  and  the  other  men 
turned  in  their  seats  and  began  to  assist  them.  A 
man  in  the  bow  shouted  at  top  voice  :  — 

xo8 


Nombre  de  Dios  109 

"  Mark  lads  !  See  there  !  she's  sending  a  boat 
to  shore  to  warn  the  town !  " 

True  enough,  a  little  shallop  with  five  men  in  it 
could  be  seen  leaving  the  vessel's  side,  and  now  our 
efforts  were  increased  to  intercept  them.  They  had 
a  longer  way  to  go  than  we,  for  we  were  nearly  in, 
but  our  strokes  were  redoubled.  The  other  pin- 
naces caught  up  abreast  us,  and  it  became  a  grand 
race ;  for  mayhap  the  success  or  failure  of  the  expe- 
dition depended  upon  our  speed.  We  were  almost 
within  bowshot  of  them,  and  three  or  four  of  the 
archers  had  selected  their  arrows,  when  the  boat 
gave  over,  and  putting  across  the  bay  made  for 
the  opposite  shore.  Even  then  it  was  a  question 
whether  we  could  get  in,  before  a  messenger  would 
make  his  way  round  on  foot. 

The  town  could  now  be  clearly  seen,  and  I  was 
surprised  at  the  size  of  it.  Numberless  white 
houses  rose  tier  upon  tier,  and  above  the  roofs 
lifted  the  spires  of  two  good-sized  churches.  There 
was  something  that  appeared  to  be  a  fort  crowning 
the  top  of  a  hill,  and  on  the  water  front  was  a  bat- 
tery of  cannon  placed  on  a  platform  and  covering 
the  approach  to  the  wharves.  But  not  a  sound  came 
from  the  place.  As  Drake  had  said,  the  Spaniards 
were  all  asleep !  We  stopped  rowing  as  we 
came  near  shore,  the  men  boated  their  oars,  allow- 
ing the  headway  of  the  pinnace  to  carry  us  onward. 


no  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

All  hands  began  buckling  on  their  swords,  adjusting 
their  targets ;  and  the  fusiliers,  snapping  their  flint 
and  steel,  ignited  their  matches  —  I  remember  how 
strange  the  smoke  smelled  to  me.  We  struck 
against  the  side  of  the  wooden  platform  with  a  jar, 
and  at  the  same  moment  a  frightened  face  peered 
over  the  bulwarks.  It  was  a  Spanish  sentry,  who 
had  just  been  aroused  from  his  slumber. 

An  archer  let  fly  at  him,  but  the  arrow  glanced 
from  his  helmet,  and  with  a  howl  he  disappeared. 
The  three  other  pinnaces  landed  about  the  same 
time,  within  a  stone^s  throw  of  us,  and  the  crews 
jumped  ashore  as  our  men  scaled  the  walls  of  the 
battery. 

Not  a  soul  was  there  to  receive  us  !  Drake  calmed 
all  confusion,  and  sending  me  to  tell  his  brother  to 
form  his  party  on  the  beach  and  await  further  orders, 
he  set  all  about  him  to  work  tumbling  the  cannon 
into  the  water.  They  accomplished  this  without 
much  ado,  and  soon  all  ran  out  of  the  fort  and 
came  to  the  place  where  the  men  under  Hixon  and 
John  Drake  were  drawn  up  in  line. 

Up  to  this  time  there  had  not  been  a  sound  from 
the  town,  but  now  we  heard  a  sudden  shout;  a 
drum  began  rolling,  and  then  another  answered  it. 
The  trumpets  began  to  blow  from  the  hill,  the  bells 
in  the  towers  of  the  two  churches  started  an  alarm- 
ing clangor,  and  from  the  noise  of  people  shouting 


Nombre  de  Dios  1 1 1 

and  the  lights  appearing  in  the  windows,  we  could 
see  that  the  place  was  gathering  itself  to  resist 
attack.  The  men-at-arms  were  being  called  to- 
gether, but  they  were  in  great  confusion,  and  there 
was  no  time  to  be  lost  if  this  surprise  was  to  be 
taken  advantage  of.  Drake  hurried  down  the  line 
of  men,  here  and  there  touching  one  on  the  shoulder, 
bidding  him  to  step  out.  Calling  for  his  brother 
Joseph,  he  bade  him  take  charge  of  them  and  guard 
the  pinnaces  against  the  return  of  the  party.  As 
had  been  prearranged,  he,  at  the  head  of  his  divi- 
sion, started  at  once  for  the  Plaza,  while  his  brother 
and  John  Oxenham  led  their  party  around  a  great 
white  building  to  enter  the  square  from  the  east- 
ward. 

Up  the  main  street  we  went,  Drake  ambling  in 
advance  and  waving  his  sword  about  his  head. 

"  Shout,  ye  knaves ! "  he  cried,  setting  the 
example.  "  Rip  your  throats  !  Don't  save  your 
pipes  ! "  And  at  his  bidding,  tearing  and  roaring, 
we  surged  along,  the  trumpeter  in  our  rear,  who 
was  a  fair  one,  executing  flourishes  and  grace  notes 
until  one  might  have  thought  we  were  accompanied 
by  a  band  of  musicians.  The  drummer  left  with 
the  other  party  was  pounding  away,  and  thus  we 
entered  the  Plaza  at  the  same  moment  they  had 
debouched  from  the  side  street,  and  we  greeted 
one  another  like  madmen  with  fiercer  shouts  than 


112  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

before.  But  Drake  did  not  stop ;  knowing  of  the 
existence  of  the  fort,  straight  up  the  hill  we  went 
and  tumbled  into  the  earthworks,  the  men  now 
laughing  and  shouting,  and  each  one  making  good 
for  ten  so  far  as  his  lungs  went. 

The  fort  was  not  entirely  completed  and  was  un- 
armed ;  so  leaving  the  spare  trumpeter  there  to  tarry 
for  a  minute,  we  turned  back  once  more  into  the 
Plaza,  I  sticking  clo'se  at  the  Captain's  heels.  There 
we  saw  the  fire-pikes  of  the  other  party  moving 
up  toward  us.  The  inhabitants  were  pouring  from 
out  of  the  houses ;  some  were  shouting  that  the 
Maroons  were  upon  them,  and  all  were  hastening, 
[a  fair  majority  half  naked,]  heading  pell  mell  with 
one  accord  for  the  southern  entrance  to  the  town, 
which  was  known  as  the  Panama  gate. 

On  the  corner  of  the  main  street  was  the  big 
house  of  the  Governor,  and  here  the  Spaniards  made 
the  first  stand.  We  could  see  the  glint  of  armor, 
and  the  red  darts  of  the  burning  matches  standing 
back  in  the  shadow.  They  outnumbered  us  five  to 
one  ;  but  it  counted  for  nothing. 

"  Have  at  them,  lads,"  shouted  Drake,  fiercely. 
And,  head  down,  he  rushed  forward  like  a  fierce 
young  bull,  without  waiting  to  see  whether  we  were 
following  him  or  not;  but  we  were  there  close  be- 
hind. I  saw  the  flash  and  heard  the  roar  in  front 
of  me,  and  the  trumpeter,  who  was  charging  and 


Nombre  de  Dios  113 

blowing  at  the  same  time,  went  over  in  a  heap,  and  I 
on  top  of  him.  I  scrambled  to  my  feet ;  but  the 
poor  man  lay  there,  shot  through  the  breast. 

The  second  party  now  came  charging  to  our  re- 
lief, and  just  as  I  joined  in  the  fight  where  the  cut- 
ting and  slashing  were  going  on,  the  Spaniards,  seeing 
the  reenforcements,  and  I  dare  say  imagining  that  we 
were  an  army  and  not  a  handful,  threw  down  their 
weapons  and  did  some  grand  running  in  all  direc- 
tions ;  most  of  them  heading  for  the  same  big  gate 
out  of  which  the  populace  was  streaming.  Five  or 
six  sailors  were  after  them,  and  Drake  called  for  the 
trumpeter  to  bring  them  back.  I  told  him  that  the 
poor  fellow  was  probably  dead,  at  which  he  turned 
to  me,  and  leaning  on  me  slightly,  said :  — 

"  Thy  legs  are  good  and  long,  boy ;  stretch  after 
them  and  fetch  them  back  with  thee." 

And  so  alone,  I  started  in  the  wake  of  the  flying 
ones  and  their  pursuers.  I  had  almost  caught  up 
to  them,  when  a  man  in  a  great  steel  casque  stepped 
out  of  a  doorway,  and  made  at  me,  sword  in  one 
hand  and  dagger  in  the  other.  I  was  running  so 
fast  that  I  would  have  been  spiked  upon  his  point, 
when  there  came  a  whistling  sound  in  my  ear,  and 
an  arrow  that  could  not  have  missed  me  by  a  hair's 
breadth  caught  him  through  the  throat,  just  above 
the  gorget.  Backwards  he  fell  with  a  clatter,  and  I 
leaped  over  him.     I  have  no  doubt  that  the  shaft 


114  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

had  been  aimed  at  me  by  one  of  the  Oxenham 
party,  who  mistook  me  for  a  fleeing  Spaniard.  My 
close  escape  had  one  good  effect,  however,  for  I 
doubled  my  speed  and  soon  caught  the  party  of 
sailors,  who  were  like  to  be  cut  to  pieces  had  they 
gone  much  farther. 

They  were  surprised,  indeed,  when  they  found 
that  they  were  alone,  imagining  that  the  rest  of 
the  party  were  at  their  backs.  These  men  were 
mad  with  blood-thirst.  They  had  slain  several  of 
the  fugitives  and  wounded  many  more,  and  their 
blades  were  red  and  dripping.  I  myself  felt  now, 
for  the  first  time,  this  elation,  the  wild  unreasoning 
desire  to  kill,  and  there  is  no  stronger  potent  force 
in  any  animal  than  this  in  man,  when  once  it  is 
aroused.  But  orders  had  been  given  them,  they 
were  men  who  were  accustomed  to  obey,  and  while 
I  dare  say  they  demurred,  they  turned  about  and 
followed  me  to  where  the  Captain  and  the  rest  of 
the  company  were  waiting.  Several  of  the  men 
appeared  to  have  slight  wounds,  but  none  seriously 
except  the  trumpeter  aforesaid,  who  was  as  good  as 
done  for.  The  poor  fellow  had  sounded  his  last 
call. 

I  saw  Captain  Drake  leaning  against  one  of  the 
arches  of  the  doorway  of  the  big  house  before  which 
the  Spaniards  had  made  their  stand.  No  sooner 
did  he  clap  eyes  on  me  than  he  beckoned. 


Nombre  de  Dios  115 

"  Come  hither.  Master  Maunsell/'  he  said,  "  and 
talk  to  these  rascals.  I  can  make  neither  head  nor 
tail  of  their  lingo." 

Two  pikemen  stood  in  front  of  him,  each  holding 
a  weak-kneed  prisoner.  Though  I  was  so  out  of 
breath  I  could  hardly  speak,  I  interpreted  the  Cap- 
tain's questions,  which  were  in  short  as  follows :  — 

"  Where  were  the  recuas  or  mule  trains  from 
Panama  unloaded  ?  Where  was  the  precious  metal 
stored  ?  and  where  did  the  Governor  keep  his  treas- 
ures of  gems  and  coined  metal,  and  if  they  didn't 
tell,  how  they  would  like  to  die  ?  " 

The  younger  man  said  nothing,  but  the  elder, 
who,  I  take  it,  was  a  mulatto,  told  us  to  follow  him, 
and  Drake,  bidding  him  lead  on,  called  off  five  or 
six  of  us  by  name,  and  we  went  down  a  narrow  pas- 
sageway, at  the  end  of  which  we  found  a  heavy 
wooden  door  sealed  and  bolted.  With  the  aid  of  a 
large  stone  we  broke  it  open,  and  one  of  the  pike- 
men  with  a  torch  being  sent  for,  we  entered  the 
cellar  of  the  Governor's  house,  and  there  we  were 
all  stricken  speechless,  for  the  vault  ran  the  full 
length  of  the  building,  which  was  nigh  seventy  feet, 
and  in  the  centre  was  a  pile  of  silver  bars  that  I  am 
willing  to  swear  was  twelve  feet  in  height  and  ten 
in  breadth  !  Some  of  the  men  picked  two  of  them 
up  and  placed  them  on  their  shoulders,  and  from 
what  they  afterward  said,  and  from  what  I  judge. 


ii6  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

each  large  bar  weighed  between  thirty-five  and  forty- 
pounds  !  Thus  at  a  rough  guess  there  must  have 
been  some  three  hundred  and  sixty  tons  of  silver 
waiting  for  the  fleet  that  was  soon  expected  to  fetch 
it  to  Spain.  It  was  more  than  enough  to  have  sent 
our  little  fleet  to  the  bottom,  and  probably  the  bulk 
of  it  dismayed  the  Captain  or  made  him  think  it 
cheap,  for  he  ordered  the  men  not  to  burden  them- 
selves with  it,  and  forcing  the  prisoner  down  upon 
his  knees,  he  placed  a  dagger  at  his  throat  and 
swore  to  kill  him  if  he  did  not  tell  where  the  gold 
and  jewels  were  at  once.  The  poor  man  could  not 
understand  a  word  of  English,  so  I  came  to  both 
his  and  the  Captain's  assistance. 

"Where  are  the  Governor's  treasures  of  gold  and 
gems  ? "  I  asked. 

"In  the  stone  treasure  house  by  the  water  front, 
noble  Senor,"  he  responded.  "  The  big  white 
building  near  the  wooden  fort.  They  were  removed 
there  three  days  ago,"  and  he  began  to  babble  for 
mercy  and  protection. 

When  we  emerged  into  the  air  again,  we  found 
that  the  dawn  had  chased  away  the  moonlight,  and 
each  instant  it  was  growing  brighter.  The  red 
eastern  sky  showed  us  that  the  sun  would  soon  be 
up.  One  of  the  church  bells  was  still  ringing  lustily, 
bugles  were  blowing  and  drums  rolling  down  the 
side  streets,  Spanish  soldiers  could  be  seen  hastening 


Nombre  de  Dios  117 

and  gathering  together  ;  nothing  but  their  own  con- 
fusion protected  us.  Calling  to  his  brother  John, 
the  Captain  directed  him  to  take  a  party  and  pro- 
ceed to  the  treasure  house,  break  into  it,  and  carry- 
away  the  contents,  and  make  off  to  the  pinnaces, 
while  with  his  handful  he  endeavored  to  hold  the 
Plaza.  • 

Hardly  had  they  left  us,  when  one  of  them  came 
running  back,  crying  that  the  pinnaces  were  attacked 
and  were  in  danger  of  being  taken.  This  was  cheer- 
less news ;  but  Drake  put  it  aside  as  if  it  amounted 
to  naught. 

"  Where  is  John  Oxenham  ?  " 

"  Here  am  I,"  replied  that  bold  sailor,  "  at  thy 
bidding." 

"  Make  haste  to  the  boats  and  tell  my  brother 
that  all  goes  well  with  us,  and  bid  him  hold  them 
at  all  hazards,  and  then  come  back  to  me  and  make 
report." 

Oxenham  started  off  hot  foot  down  the  hill  and  dis- 
appeared. A  few  great  drops  of  rain  had  begun  to  fall, 
and  the  Captain,  giving  a  glance  at  the  sky,  muttered 
a  curse  beneath  his  breath,  and,  calling  us  to  follow, 
he  started  toward  the  treasure  house,  where  he -had 
sent  the  first  party.  But  before  we  had  gone  many 
paces  the  heavens  seemed  to  open,  and  such  a 
sheet  of  water  poured  down  upon  us  that  it  was  fain 
to  wash  the  clothes  off  our  backs.     In  an  instant  the 


ii8  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

street  became  a  brook  running  ankle  deep ;  never 
could  I  imagine  that  such  a  downpour  ever  would 
take  place.  It  was  like  attempting  to  walk  beneath 
the  outlet  of  a  wier.  Instantly  the  matches  were  put 
out,  and  by  the  time  we  reached  the  treasure  house, 
where  we  found  the  rest  of  the  party  sheltered  be- 
neath the  veranda,  all  of  our  powder  ^as  wet  and 
our  bowstrings  soaked  and  useless.  Thus,  indeed, 
it  was  a  fine  turn  of  affairs  !  We  had  nothing  now 
but  cold  steel  to  depend  upon ;  to  step  out  from 
our  shelter  was  as  good  as  getting  drowned,  and  we 
were  not  certain  as  to  whether  our  boats  had  been 
captured  or  not.  All  looked  at  the  Captain.  He 
appeared  undisturbed,  and  was  quietly  washing  some 
blood  off  his  hands  at  a  stream  of  water  from  an 
eaves-spout.  —  By  St.  George,  I  admired  him ! 

His  brother  reported  to  him  as  he  stood  there 
that  he  had  been  all  round  the  treasure  house,  and 
there  appeared  to  be  no  doorway  or  entrance ;  the 
windows  were  too  small  to  allow  the  passage  of  a 
man's  body,  and  were  heavily  barred  at  that. 

"  Then  we  must  break  through,"  said  the  Captain, 
cheerfully.     "  Come,  let  us  start  at  it." 

It  was  easier  to  say  so,  than  to  do  it ;  for  the 
walls,  judging  from  the  depths  of  the  embrasures, 
were  four  feet  and  more  in  thickness.  We  had  no 
tools  but  our  weapons,  and  it  was  folly  to  break 
them,  in  merely  scratching  the  stone. 


N ombre  de  Dios 


119 


"Where  in  the  name  of  Heaven  is  the  prisoner?  " 
cried  Drake,  testily ;  "  there  must  be  a  secret  en- 
trance."    We  looked  about. 

In  the  confusion,  the  trembling  old  man  had 
escaped,  unless  he  had  been  drowned  in  the  street. 
And  now  the  men  began  to  murmur.  One  said 
that  he  had  been  told  by  a  negro,  who  spoke  Eng- 
lish, that  over  one  hundred  and  fifty  men  had  been 
added  to  the  garrison  but  the  day  before,  and  that  as 
soon  as  the  Spaniards  knew  how  few  we  were,  and 
where  we  were  hiding,  we  would  be  eaten  up  man 
for  man. 

"  To  the  boats  !  to  the  boats  !  *'  cried  some.  And 
let  me  state  for  these,  that  some  of  them  had  been 
doing  the  boldest  fighting.  I  think  they  felt  that, 
despite  Mr.  Fletcher's  prayer,  the  Lord  was  not 
on  our  side  in  the  venture.  The  rain  was  now 
ceasing,  and  as  was  usual  in  this  climate,  it  bore  all 
indications  of  soon  clearing  away.  The  Captain 
turned.  I  have  never  heard  him  curse  at  his  men, 
but  he  was  near  to  it  this  time. 

"  Oh,  you  cowards  !  "  he  cried.  "  Here  I  have 
brought  you  to  the  mouth  of  the  world's  treasure 
house,  and  almost  within  your  grasp  are  riches 
enough  to  buy  us  all  a  kingdom ;  if  you  go  away 
empty-handed,  whose  fault  is  it  ?  Not  mine ! 
that  brought  you  here,  but  yours  for  leaving  it  when 
it  was  in  your  grasp  !     Are  you  such  poltroons  that 


I20  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

you  are  afraid  of  a  wetting  ?  We  have  yet  our 
swords  !  By  the  powers.  Til  stay  here  and  carve 
my  way  to  a  fortune  —  who*s  with  me  ?  " 

One  of  the  fusihers  cast  down  his  musket  with 
a  clang,  and,  drawing  his  short  sword,  stepped  out. 

"  I  am  with  you,  sir,"  he  said,  "  until  death  shall 
find  us." 

"  And  so  am  I,"  said  I,  stepping  close  also. 

Young  Ceely  followed. 

The  Captain  put  his  arm  about  my  shoulder,  and 
leaned  upon  me  somewhat  heavily.  His  face  was 
pale  and  his  lips  pressed  tight  together. 

"  And  now,  who's  next  ?  "  he  asked. 

With  one  accord  they  all  stepped  forward  this 
time,  and  the  Captain  smiled. 

"  Then  back  to  the  Plaza !  "  cried  he ;  "  and, 
John,  you  take  four  men  and  search  the  rear  of 
this  building  for  an  entrance,  and  if  you  find  it,  send 
me  a  messenger." 

With  this,  he  lifted  his  arm  from  my  shoulder 
and  stepped  out  into  the  street.  The  rain  had 
ceased,  the  sun  was  now  shining  brightly,  and  the 
sandy  soil  had  drunk  up  the  water  like  a  sponge. 

The  Captain  had  taken  but  three  or  four  strides 
when  I  saw  him  waver.  He  put  forth  his  sword  as 
if  to  steady  himself,  and  then  with  a  faint  groan  he 
fell  in  a  heap  to  the  ground.  I  was  the  first  to 
reach  him. 


Nombre  de  Dios  121 

The  high  leather  boots  that  he  wore  had  pre- 
vented us  from  knowing  that  he  had  been  wounded, 
but  the  right  one  was  full  of  blood  to  the  top,  and 
as  we  lifted  him  it  poured  out  in  a  stream,  showing 
how  great  must  have  been  his  suffering  and  how 
badly  he  was  hurt.  His  brother  John  placed  a 
silver  flask  of  cordial  to  his  lips,  and  he  raised  his 
head  after  a  sip. 

"  Let  me  have  your  dirk,"  he  said  faintly. 

Ceely  handed  him  his,  and  with  it  he  cut  away 
the  boot  leg,  and  there  exposed  a  gaping  shot 
wound.  He  had  been  hit  in  the  first  volley  over 
an  hour  before,  but  had  said  nothing.  Taking  a 
scarf  from  around  his  neck,  —  for  he  would  allow  no 
one  to  minister  to  him,  —  he  bound  it  round  his 
thigh  and  with  great  effort  stood  erect. 

"  'Tis  naught  but  a  scratch,"  he  said.  "  Come 
now  and  follow  me." 

But  with  their  leader  wounded,  the  idea  of  a  fight 
had  left  the  men's  minds.  One  or  two  others  who 
had  received  slight  hurts  showed  signs  of  distress 
also.  The  Captain  started  up  the  hill,  but  again  fell 
backwards,  fainting  from  his  weakness.  It  was  all 
up  now.  He  was  picked  up  bodily  on  the  shoul- 
ders of  four  men,  and  all  turned  and  hastened, 
regardless  of  orders,  about  the  corner  of  the  building 
in  the  direction  of  the  pinnaces.  As  I  looked  back 
toward  the  Plaza  it  seemed  to  me  that  it  was  swarm- 


122  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

ing  with  men-at-arms,  and  it  was  with  a  lift  of  my 
heart  that  I  perceived  the  pinnaces  were  still  safe 
on  the  shore  with  a  guard  deployed  before  them. 

Drake  had  revived  again  and  was  protesting 
weakly  against  leaving,  and  had  he  possessed  more 
strength,  he  would  have  fought  to  carry  his  point,  I 
doubt  not. 

"  Sir,  your  life  is  worth  more  to  us  than  all  the 
treasures,"  said  the  huge  sailor  who  was  supporting 
his  shoulders.  "  We  are  not  empty  handed  either." 
I  looked  about  and  saw  that  the  two  men  who  had 
gone  into  the  treasure  vault  with  us  must  have 
disregarded  the  Captain's  order,  or  returned  there 
again,  for  each  one  had  a  bar  of  silver.  Two  or 
three  of  the  men,  as  it  was  proved  afterward,  had 
found  time  to  enter  some  of  the  houses,  and  one 
had  secured  a  golden  crucifix  that  weighed  almost  a 
pound.  The  black  man  who  spoke  English  had 
asked  if  he  might  make  one  of  our  party  also,  and 
had  been  well  received. 

Hastily  we  shoved  off,  and  taking  a  count  of  our 
numbers,  we  found  that  we  were  but  one  man  short, 
and  he  was  the  trumpeter,  whose  body  we  had  not 
found  time  to  fetch  away.  As  there  was  little 
wind,  we  were  forced  to  take  the  oars,  and  we  per- 
ceived that  the  small  galleon  that  we  had  first  dis- 
covered was  trying  to  make  an  offing,  but  finding 
this  impossible,  her  crew  deserted  to  another  small 


Nombre  de  Dios  123 

boat,  and  we  took  her  and  found  that  her  hold  was 
filled  with  casks  of  wine. 

We  placed  a  crew  aboard  her  with  John  Drake 
in  charge,  and  succeeded  in  working  her  out  of  the 
harbor,  and  then  under  orders  of  our  leader,  who 
had  strengthened  sufficiently  to  give  all  directions, 
we  landed  upon  a  little  island  just  outside  the 
entrance  of  the  bay.  It  was  called  the  Isla  de 
Bastimentos,  where  were  the  public  vegetable  gar- 
dens and  poultry  yards.  We  had  a  fine  breakfast 
of  roasted  fowl,  yams,  and  fruits,  and  the  surgeon 
found  time  to  attend  to  the  needs  of  the  wounded. 
To  the  relief  of  all,  he  found  the  Captain  to  be  in 
no  serious  condition,  but  I  wondered  what  next  was 
to  be  done.  I  wished  that  my  uncle  had  been  with 
us,  for  I  was  not  ashamed  at  all  of  the  way  I  had 
behaved. 


CHAPTER   XII 

AN    EXCHANGE    OF    COURTESIES 

HE  Spaniard  is  a  strange  individual,  and 
self-deception  with  him  has  grown  to  be 
so  much  a  part  of  national  character  that 
it  can  be  reckoned  upon  of  a  surety.  If 
he  has  the  last  word,  he  has  won  the  debate,  no  mat- 
ter his  logic,  and  if  he  has  dealt  the  last  blow,  he 
has  won  the  fight  and  congratulates  himself  accord- 
ingly ;  but  the  last  word  may  be  an  epithet,  and 
the  last  blow  a  gesticulation.  Nevertheless,  he  will 
vaunt  himself  as  though  both  were  conclusive  evi- 
dence of  prowess.  I  say  this  because  it  has  so  often 
come  under  my  own  observation.  When  we  were 
well  out  of  gunshot  of  the  town,  and  about  the 
time  we  were  boarding  the  wine-ship,  the  Spaniards, 
after  a  great  deal  of  drumming  and  trumpeting,  had 
succeeded  in  gathering  a  large  force  on  the  water 
front,  and  had  mounted  one  of  the  cannon  that  we 
had  displaced.  Thereupon  they  had  fired  a  shot 
that  had  fallen  midway  between  us  and  the  shore, 
and  upon    this    circumstance    they   always   boasted 

that  they  had  driven  us  from  Nombre  de  Dios  at 

124 


An  Exchange  of  Courtesies  125 

the  point  of  the  sword,  and  claimed  a  great  victory. 
They  are  welcome  to  the  satisfaction  of  believing  it 
so,  but  I  think  had  it  not  been  for  the  downpour 
of  rain,  we  would  have  held  the  town  with  our 
handful,  barring,  of  course,  our  Captain  having  been 
wounded. 

For  two  days,  now,  we  stayed  upon  the  island, 
and  we  lived  like  lords  of  high  degree.  The 
Spaniards'  fowls  were  of  excellent  flavor,  and  the 
vast  garden  furnished  fresh  vegetables,  so  that  after 
our  hardships  we  were  like  to  grow  fat  and  wax 
proud  and  indolent.  The  wounded  were  recover- 
ing with  wonderful  quickness,  and  the  Captain  him- 
self was  able  to  be  up  and  to  hobble  about.  The 
negro  to  whom  I  referred,  and  who  had  joined  him- 
self to  our  party  in  the  town,  proved  to  be  a  man 
of  superior  mind  and  attainments.  His  face  showed 
intelligence,  and  though  black,  he  was  good  to  look 
upon  —  a  strong,  comely  man,  straight  backed  and 
deep  chested.  His  name  was  Diego,  and  Drake 
had  attached  him  to  his  own  person  as  body-servant, 
and  decked  him  out  bravely  in  some  clothes  taken 
on  board  the  wine-ship.  I  will  have  much  to  say 
of  this  fine  fellow  hereafter,  for  he  proved  to  be  a 
godsend  to  us  in  more  ways  than  one.  He  spoke 
fairly,  Spanish,  English,  and  Portuguese. 

On  the  second  day,  one  of  the  lookouts  —  for  we 
had  not  remitted  precautions  against  being  taken 


126  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

by  surprise  —  announced  that  a  boat  was  coming 
around  the  point  flying  a  flag  of  truce,  and  evidently 
haiUng  from  the  town.  So  the  Captain  turned  out 
the  guard,  and  we  went  down  to  the  shore  to  meet 
it.  Scarcely  had  the  bow  grated  on  the  sand  than 
there  stepped  forth  a  tall  man,  with  dark  features 
and  a  long  black  beard,  who  lifted  his  feathered  hat 
gallantly,  advancing  at  the  same  time  in  a  friendly 
and  frank  manner  with  a  gracious  greeting  on  his 
lips.  He  was  clad  in  a  slashed  doublet  of  crimson 
silk  embroidered  with  gold,  and  the  hilt  of  his  long 
sword,  and  his  dagger  also,  glittered  with  gems. 
He  was  in  great  contrast  to  our  leader  in  his  spun 
cloth  and  buff  leather.  But  Drake  responded  in 
proper  manner  to  the  salute,  and  we,  all  '  standing 
by,'  in  ship  fashion,  doffed  in  our  turn  —  it  was  a 
strange  sight.  I  acted  as  an  interpreter,  and  re-, 
quested  that  Don  Jose  de  Farina,  as  he  named  him- 
self, would  accompany  us  to  the  tent  that  we  had 
erected  on  shore,  and  where  refreshments  were  being 
prepared.  The  crew  that  had  rowed  the  boat  were 
rather  for  staying  in  it,  but  under  Drake's  orders 
they  were  taken  ashore,  and  our  men  were  told  to 
supply  them  with  all  that  they  could  drink  or  eat, 
and  this  was  done  to  such  good  purpose  that 
when  they  left  it  appeared  as  if  it  was  their  intention 
to  traverse  the  Spanish  Main  before  weathering  the 
point. 


An  Exchange  of  Courtesies  127 

But  to  get  back  to  the  story :  Don  Jose  dis- 
claimed any  knowledge  of  English,  and  perhaps  in 
that  he  was  truthful,  but  if  he  had  understood,  he 
must  have  been  amused  and  been  a  fair  dissembler, 
for  Drake  unburdened  himself  after  this  fashion  to 
me  as  we  walked  up  the  beach,  he  leaning  on  my 
arm :  — 

"  It  is  evident,"  quoth  he  aloud,  "  what  is  this 
bearded  coxcomb's  business !  It  is  to  ascertain  our 
force  and  condition.  But  notwithstanding,  we  shall 
not  be  outdone  in  politeness  of  manner,  nor  in  for- 
mality of  reception,  as  he  may  reckon  our  power  in 
proportion  to  our  courtesy."  So  every  time  that 
the  Don  bowed  and  scraped  we  did  likewise,  and 
this  with  such  gravity  that  he  was  soon  at  home, 
and  we  were  bandying  smooth  speeches  and  elab- 
orate wishes,  as  were  they  balls  in  a  tennis  court. 
Once  seated  beneath  the  shade  of  the  awnings,  Don 
Jose  stated  the  purpose  of  his  visit.  It  was,  accord- 
ing to  his  words,  made  at  the  request  of  the  Gov- 
ernor of  the  town,  in  order  to  inquire  if  "  El  Capitan 
Drake  "  was  the  same  officer,  as  some  of  the  town- 
folk  alleged,  who  had  visited  the  parts  during  the 
last  two  years  and  had  always  treated  his  prisoners 
so  kindly.  As  Drake  expressed  the  pleasure  that  it 
gave  him  to  have  any  Spaniard  as  his  guest  upon 
no  matter  what  occasion,  the  Don  went  on  to  tell 
that  His  Excellency  the  Governor  desired  to  know 


128  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

if  there  was  anything  that  he  could  supply  him 
with,  and  that  His  Excellency  had  great  concern  at 
hearing  that  so  courteous  a  gentleman  and  so  kind 
a  friend  had  been  wounded.  Upon  my  soul,  when 
I  translated  this  to  the  company,  I  was  afraid  that 
they  would  burst  into  guffawing,  so  transparent 
were  the  words.  The  Captain's  eyes  twinkled  mer- 
rily as  he  replied,  extending  his  thanks  to  the  Gov- 
ernor for  his  courteous  wishes.  His  wound  he 
made  light  of,  but  his  gratitude  much,  and  the  Span- 
iard appeared  pleased,  and  said  so  at  length. 

"At  the  first  alarm,"  went  on  Don  Jose,  "and 
before  our  brave  men  had  driven  the  sleep  from 
their  eyelids  and  recovered  from  the  surprise  into 
which  your  sudden  visit  had  thrown  them,  it  was 
feared  that  you  were  French,  and  the  consternation 
that  you  perceived  was  resultant,  but  when  we 
found  out  that  you  were  English,  and  that  it  was 
the  redoubtable  El  Capitan  with  whose  name  they 
were  familiar,  that  was  amongst  them,  their  fear 
subsided,  for  they  knew  that  whatever  happened  to 
their  treasure,  —  and  treasure  will  always  tempt  men 
of  spirit  to  acquire  it,"  he  added  politely,  —  "their 
persons  were  safe  from  cruelty,  their  women  from 
rapine,  and  their  town  from  the  torch."         J 

"  And  how  did  you  first  find  out  that  we  were 
not  French  ? "  inquired  Drake,  with  great  gravity 
of  demeanor. 


An  Exchange  of  Courtesies  129 

"From  your  arrows/*  returned  the  Don.  "A 
weapon  used  to  good  effect  only  by  your  country- 
men. And  this  leads  me  to  inquire,  if  I  may  ven- 
ture to  do  so,  and  be  not  too  bold,  whether  these 
arrows  are  poisoned,  as  they  have  wounded  many, 
and  we  should  like  to  know  the  proper  treatment 
to  be  accorded  them." 

When  I  asked  this  question  in  English,  we  all 
grinned,  but  the  Don  made  believe  to  pass  it  by. 

"Pray  tell  His  Excellency  the  Governor,"  ob- 
served the  Captain,  "  that  Francis  Drake  makes 
obeisance,  and  states  that  Englishmen  do  not  use 
poisoned  weapons,  and  the  wounds  should  be 
treated  as  though  made  with  the  cleanest  of  Toledo. 
And  tell  His  Excellency  also,"  he  said,  "that  I  am 
grateful  from  my  heart  for  his  wishes  and  offers  of 
supplies,  but,"  and  he  waved  his  hand  out  over  the 
flowering  gardens,  "  we  trespass  upon  him  already, 
and  there  is  nothing  lacking  to  our  good  comfort." 

Don  Jose  let  his  eye  wander  over  the  scene.  A 
short  distance  away  some  of  our  men  were  roasting 
His  Excellency's  fat  fowls,  and  a  group  in  the  shade 
of  the  tree  were  sporting  about  a  cask  of  His  Ex- 
cellency's wine,  so  there  was  some  cause  for  the 
contentment  at  least.  But  had  it  all  been  all  or- 
dered for  our  special  benefit,  Don  Jose  could  not 
have  been  more  gracious,  and  so  he  expressed  him- 
self.    Oh,  I  laugh  now  as  I  think  of  it ;  even  the 


130  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

polite  irony  of  Drake's  next  speech  did  not  discon- 
cert him. 

"  It  would  be  unfair,"  said  Drake,  smiling  and 
addressing  us  all,  "  to  allow  this  good  gentleman  to 
depart  in  perplexity  as  to  our  intentions,  and  "  (this 
to  me)  "  I  desire  you.  Master  Maunsell,  to  deco- 
rate my  words,  and  to  spice  what  I  am  about  to  say, 
so  that  it  will  not  be  bitter,  but  yet  take  heed  to 
plainly  state  what  are  our  intentions ;  and  now  for 
it  —  "  With  that  he  set  me  a  hard  task,  and  I  often 
had  to  cast  about  for  proper  phrasing.  But  leaving 
out  the  spice  and  the  garlands,  this  is  what  Drake 
said :  "  Let  the  Governor,  your  master,  hold  open 
his  eyes ;  take  heed  and  make  all  due  preparations 
and  all  health  to  him.  But,  as  God  has  lent  me 
life  and  leave,  I  mean  to  reap  some  of  the  harvest 
that  has  been  wrenched  from  the  earth  and  that  is 
being  sent  to  Spain  to  trouble  all  the  people  thereof, 
for  it  is  by  force  that  it  is  garnered,  by  force  it  is 
held,  and  by  force  must  it  be  taken."  And  then 
he  went  on  to  say  that  long  before  England  or 
Spain  were  known,  the  gold  was  in  the  mountains 
and  the  precious  metals  lay  hid  under  the  ground, 
the  jewels  existed,  the  wealth  was  there  for  the  find- 
ing and  keeping,  and  that  all  this  meant  power,  and 
belonged  to  him  who  could  hold  and  guard  it ;  it 
differed  from  crops  or  commerce  in  that  it  was 
neither  sown,  nurtured,  made,  or  fashioned  by  the 


An  Exchange  of  Courtesies  131 

hand  of  man,  and  thus  it  was  the  property  of  the 
one  who  possessed  it  simply,  and  who  had  the 
strength  and  desire  to  make  it  all  his  own  by  force 
of  arms,  and  guard  it  thus  also. 

I  do  not  claim  that  the  logic  was  complete,  or 
even  that  the  point  was  taken  well,  but  it  was  a 
frank  confession  that  we  were  after  gold  and  silver, 
and  considered  our  desires  sufficient  license,  and  it 
was  honest  speech  and  boldly  said.  I  had  some 
difficulty  in  framing  parts,  so  as  not  to  jar  upon  the 
Spaniard's  feelings,  for  it  is  easier  to  dress  a  lie  to 
suit  the  fancy  than  to  make  truth  appear  iattractive. 
But  naught  disturbed  the  Governor's  messenger; 
and  now  the  repast  being  made  ready,  we  sat  down 
about  the  table  and  drank  healths  and  made  toasts, 
as  were  we  all  of  one  mind  and  of  single  purpose. 
The  Captain  sent  for  some  men  who  sang  fairly  some 
carols,  young  Ceely  obliged  with  a  French  chanson, 
at  which  the  Don  expressed  delight,  and  applauded ; 
but  all  the  time  he  would  steal  glances  beneath  the 
awning  in  order  to  take  in  as  much  as  he  could  of 
our  numbers  and  armament.  And  he  saw  a  great 
deal  too,  a  fine  show,  I  can  warrant ;  for  the  Spanish 
sailors  had  been  sent  well  loaded  back  to  their  boat, 
and  for  an  hour  or  more  our  men  had  been  passing 
and  repassing,  apparently  at  drill,  by  a  narrow  open- 
ing in  the  woods.  Each  time  the  lines  would  be  dif- 
ferently arranged,  and  this  was  done  by  changing 


1^1  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

helmets  and  headgear  in  secret,  and  putting  fresh 
men  upon  the  company  flanks,  so  that  even  it  ap- 
peared to  my  eyes  as  though  we  numbered  some  two 
hundred  odd,  and  we  afterwards  found  that  we  were 
reported  by  Don  Jose  as  being  of  twice  that  force. 
When  it  came  time  for  him  to  depart,  we  all  arose 
and  escorted  him  to  his  shallop,  and  there  Drake 
took  from  around  his  own  neck  a  gold  chain  with  a 
small  jewelled  pendant,  and  forced  it  upon  him, 
despite  the  Spaniard's  protestations. 

"  I  may  get  the  bauble  back  some  day,"  he 
laughingly  remarked  to  us,  ere  the  Don,  still  bowing 
and  scraping,  was  out  of  earshot.  "  The  world  is 
a  small  place." 

Some  wonderful  rowing  was  done,  as  I  before 
stated,  by  the  crew,  and  the  emissary's  scarlet 
doublet  must  have  suffered  a  severe  drenching  ere 
he  reached  Nombre  de  Dios. 

We  had  some  hearty  laughter  that  night,  and  not 
a  little  trouble  with  our  own  men  when  we  came 
to  shut  them  off  from  their  supply  of  wine.  Mix 
many  sailors  with  much  drink,  and  there  generally 
will  follow  some  sudden  fermentations.  That  I 
have  observed  to  hold  true  at  home  and  abroad. 

It  was  late  before  we  sought  sleep ;  for  Drake, 
who  had  dropped  his  fine  manners  and  had  become 
the  adventurous  sailorman  again,  was  full  of  carry- 
ing out  his  threat  of  relieving  the  Governor  of  his 


An  Exchange  of  Courtesies  133 

superabundance  of  possessions.  Oh,  what  a  won- 
derful man  this  was  !  A  thing  planned  with  him 
was  as  good  as  done !  He  reckoned  neither  cost 
nor  danger.  He  counted  not  odds  nor  difficulties, 
and  yet  shrewdness  and  well-defined  method  lay 
underneath  his  scheming,  and  he  had  us  all  on  fire 
with  his  talk,  until  the  prospect  of  inaction  —  were 
it  in  paradise  even  —  would  have  seemed  distaste- 
ful. Our  fingers  itched  for  the  hilt  of  our  weap- 
ons, and  our  blades  were  eager  to  leap  from  their 
scabbards.  Yes,  and  each  one  of  us  saw  himself 
a  master  of  riches,  and  the  envied  of  all  beholders. 
Diego,  the  negro,  had  been  admitted  to  this  coun- 
cil ;  and  he  had  been  plied  with  questions  to  some 
purpose.  He  spoke  English,  as  I  have  said,  after 
a  fashion,  and  his  answers  were  clear  and  trust- 
worthy. He  informed  our  leader  that  the  Maroons 
already  held  his  name  in  reverence,  which  is  another 
name  for  fear  perhaps,  and  he  claimed  that  if  he 
would  be  allowed  to  make  advances  to  them  and 
to  open  up  communications  by  extending  mutual  aid, 
we  could  obtain  enough  gold  and  silver  to  load  our 
vessels,  and  supplies  also  sufficient  for  our  home- 
ward voyage.  He  proposed  nothing  less  than  a 
plan  to  seize  the  treasure  boats  as  they  voyaged 
down  the  Chargres  River,  and  thus  obtain  the  gath- 
ered products  of  the  mines.  This  latter  plan  caught 
Drake's  attention,  and  he  determined  to  carry  it  out 


134  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

if  possible.  The  next  morning  he  informed  us  that 
he  had  slept  over  it,  that  he  had  made  arrangements 
that  he  thought  would  work  to  a  successful  issue. 
Calling  the  company  together,  we  embarked  from 
the  Island  of  Bastamentos  with  the  wine-ship  in  the 
van  and  headed  for  the  Island  of  Pinas,  but  Ellis 
Hixon  and  Drake's  young  brother  were  detached 
in  the  Eion  to  reconnoitre  the  Chargres  and  to  land 
Diego,  who  was  to  act  as  our  emissary  with  the  Ma- 
roons. The  rest  of  us  proceeded  eastward  to  join 
Captain  Ranse,  who  was  awaiting  our  return,  and 
who  probably  thought  by  this  time  that  we  were 
killed  or  held  prisoners,  for  his  surprise  upon  seeing 
us  was  plain.  He  had  enough  of  our  companion- 
ship and  was  keen  to  embark  for  England  before  he 
lost  what  he  had  already.  He  regarded  our  safety 
as  miraculous,  and  wrote  Captain  Drake  down  as  a 
hairbrain  for  proposing  any  further  expeditions  — 
of  this  I  am  certain.  But  there  was  much  more  to 
happen  ere  we  saw  home. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

MY    UNCLE    ALLEYN   JOINS    OUR    PARTY 


IRAKE  and  Ranse  conversed  but  little 
after  the  interview  they  held  immediately 
upon  our  return.     Our  Captain  had,  to 

'  all  evidences,  spoken  his  mind  in  regard 

to  the  other's  lack  of  spirit,  and  both  being  obsti- 
nate, there  was  no  reconciliation.  I  was  enjoying  a 
new  sensation  now,  for  the  Captain  had  taken  it  into 
his  head  to  learn  Spanish,  he  having  known  only 
a  few  words  up  to  this  time ;  and  never  did  any 
tutor  have  such  a  pupil !  He  went  at  his  lessons 
fiercely,  and  would  bellow  out  the  parts  of  a  verb 
as  if  he  was  giving  orders  that  he  was  glad  to  free 
his  mind  of  He  learned  to  speak  fluently  enough 
before  we  parted  company  for  any  length  of  time ; 
but  he  would  always  talk  at  top  lung  when  using  a 
foreign  speech. 

The  pinnace  hove  in  sight  one  evening  at  sun- 
set; and  Ranse,  as  if  afraid  we  might  attempt  to 
detain  him,  bade  us  a  hasty  farewell,  and  crowded 
on  all  sail  to  get  away  from  the  island.  Hixon's 
men   reported   good    news   from  their   expedition, 

135 


136  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

and  Drake  said,  on  hearing  it :  "  We  tarry  here  no 
longer,  my  masters  !  If  we  can  take  a  city  one  day, 
and  be  thanked  for  it,  surely  there  be  others  that 
will  deHver  themselves  for  the  knocking."  So  we 
sailed  off,  all  five  vessels,  to  the  westward,  and  made 
the  Island  of  San  Barnardo,  that  I  heard  said  was 
but  a  few  leagues  from  the  capital  of  the  Spanish 
Main. 

One  thing  rejoiced  me  exceedingly.  I  had  feared 
that  my  Uncle  Alleyn  would  have  left  us  when  Cap- 
tain Ranse  did  ;  but  what  was  my  delighted  surprise 
to  see  him  —  for  I  knew  his  stalwart  figure  at  a 
glance  —  on  board  the  Swan ;  and  as  soon  as  we  had 
anchored  he  came  on  board  the  Pacha  with  the  other 
officers  and  the  Captain's  two  brothers,  and  I  had  a 
long-wished-for  chance  to  talk  with  him. 

"  Ranse  and  I  parted  company  for  good  reasons," 
said  he.  "  I  was  under  no  obligations  to  him  of  the 
smallest,  neither  was  I  bound  to  his  service  by  any 
paper,  but  could  come  and  go  as  I  pleased.  There- 
fore, being  of  a  jealous  temper,  he  was  glad  to  be 
rid  of  me,  and  welcomed  the  chance  to  buy  my 
share  of  the  profits  at  a  price  that  will  well  repay 
him.  Mind  you  this,  my  son,  the  man  that  now 
leads  us  is  of  no  common  mould,  and  he  has  gifts 
that  come  direct  from  God.  Granted  that  we  fol- 
low him  without  fear,  he  will  bring  us  safely  through, 
and  we  will  see  England,  rich  men  all  of  us." 


My  Uncle  Alleyn  joins  our  Party  137 

Then  he  spoke  of  the  chances  of  my  coming 
into  my  own,  —  that  is,  the  property  that  of  right  I 
should  inherit  from  my  father,  —  and  he  told  me 
that  the  money  I  might  make  from  my  share  in  this 
voyage  would  help  me  push  my  claims,  even  better 
than  his  patronage.  It  was  for  the  purpose  of  gain- 
ing this  for  himself  that  he  had  embarked  with 
Ranse.  The  Maunsell  estates,  he  also  informed  me, 
were  much  impoverished  and  in  sad  need  of  care  and 
fostering. 

My  heart  warmed  to  him  as  he  talked,  and  we 
had  but  half  finished  our  discourse  when  he  had  to 
return  to  his  ship. 

Swords  were  out,  and  all  fell  to  whispering,  but 
this  time  without  fear. 

No  sooner  had  night  fallen  than  it  was  '  up  an- 
chor, and  hoist  sail,*  and,  helped  by  a  favoring 
breeze,  we  crept  down  the  coast  and  into  the  very 
harbor  of  Cartagena.  There,  near  the  entrance,  we 
seized  a  small  frigate  without  much  trouble,  for  she 
had  but  one  aged  man  on  watch,  and  the  rest  of  her 
people  ashore.  From  the  old  sailor  we  gleaned 
some  important  information.  First,  that  the  news 
of  our  being  on  the  coasts  was  all  abroad.  A  pin- 
nace had  arrived  from  Nombre  de  Dios,  and  all  the 
shipping  had  been  warped  in  under  the  castle  guns, 
where  they  were  safe  from  us  for  the  time  being  at 
least.     But  Captain  Drake  aired  his  newly  gained 


138  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

knowledge  of  Spanish  to  some  purpose ;  for  he  shot 
such  a  broadside  of  straight  questioning  and  bad 
grammar,  primed  with  fierce  looks,  into  the  Spaniard, 
that,  of  his  own  will,  he  offered  us  the  information 
that  there  was  a  large  vessel,  all  on  the  point  of 
sailing  for  Seville,  anchored  just  inside  the  point, 
to  the  southward.  As  the  little  frigate  contained 
naught  of  much  value,  we  left  her  and  made  off  to 
find  the  new  quarry.  Bells  and  cannon  were  sound- 
ing from  the  town,  but  they  aflfrighted  none  of  us, 
although  no  doubt  the  Spaniards  were  in  a  terrible 
turmoil,  as  is  their  usual  wont  upon  such  occasions. 

The  old  man  had  not  lied.  We  found  the  ship, 
boarded  her,  and  took  her  after  a  short  fight,  in 
which  they  lost  two  lives,  and  we  had  some  blood 
drawn.  Then,  while  we  could  yet  take  advantage  of 
the  darkness,  we  endeavored  to  get  her  out  to  sea. 
But  it  was  gray  of  dawn  before  we  succeeded,  and, 
in  the  meantime,  with  drums  and  trumpets,  the 
Spanish  force,  to  the  number  of  three  hundred  horse 
and  foot,  had  gathered  on  the  beach  just  beyond 
bowshot.  They  fired  upon  us  without  effect,  and 
we  vouchsafed  no  reply,  which  I  daresay  hurt  them 
more  than  if  we  had  killed  a  few  of  them,  as  they 
are  quite  as  chary  of  their  pride  as  their  persons. 

This  same  morning,  as  we  lay  off  the  mouth  of 
the  harbor,  we  caught  two  small  frigates  enter- 
ing ;  they  also  hailed  from  Nombre  de  Dios,  and 


My  Uncle  Alleyn  joins  our  Party        139 

on  one  we  found  a  message  from  our  good  friend 
the  Governor,  telling  that :  "  El  Capitan  Drake  had 
been  at  Nombre  de  Dios,  had  taken  the  town,  and 
had  it  not  been  that  he  was  hurt  by  some  blessed 
shot,  by  all  likelihood  he  had  sacked  it;  that  he 
was  still  upon  the  coast,  and  that  they  should 
therefore  carefully  prepare  for  him."  After  read- 
ing it  our  leader  gave  it  back  to  the  messenger,  with 
a  kindly  laugh,  and  set  him  on  shore  with  all  the 
prisoners  we  had  taken.  Then  we  headed  for  the 
San  Barnardo  Islands  with  our  prizes,  and  in  a  se- 
questered bay,  where  we  were  nearly  screened  from 
the  sea,  we  dropped  anchor. 


CHAPTER   XIV 

ROGER    TRUMAN    AND    THOMAS    MOONE 


T  was  a  fine  day  bfit  rather  warm,  and 
we  still  were  lying  in  our  hiding-place. 
I  was  n^aking  out  a  list  of  things  worth 

keeping,  that  we   had  found   on   board 

the  captured  craft,  when  I  heard  a  laugh  that  caused 
me  to  raise  my  head.  There  stood  a  good-looking 
sailor  lad,  who  I  remembered  had  joined  us  from 
Ranse*s  crew  (deserted,  to  be  plain  spoken).  He 
was  all  a-grin  over  something  that  one  of  the 
men  had  said  about  an  object  that  he  held  in  his 
hand.  It  was  a  leather  headstall  such  as  fhe  Span- 
ish muleteers  like  to  decorate  and  place  upon  their 
animals. 

"  No  !  "  he  chuckled,  "  it  is  not  for  thee  —  but 
for  an  honest  old  gray  horse  that  belongeth  to  my 
old  father  in  Portsmouth  —  lay  claim  to  it,  and  for- 
sooth we  will  buffet  for  possession,  and  if  I  lose, 
thou  canst  have  it  to  wear  as  beseemeth  thy  features 
and  reasoning." 

With  that  a  stout  man,  much  the  elder,  stepped 
forward,  a  ring  was  formed  in  the  waist  of  the  ship, 

140 


Roger  Truman  and  Thomas  Moone      141 

and  there  followed  as  pretty  a  game  of  fisticuffs  as 
I  had  e'er  witnessed ;  but  so  evenly  were  they 
matched  that  they  might  still  be  at  it,  had  not  one 
of  the  sailors  parted  them,  and,  seeing  I  was  watch- 
ing, appealed  to  me  to  decide  the  winner.  The 
shorter  man  was  perhaps  the  worse  blown  of  the 
twain,  but  both  were  good-natured. 

"  Well,"  said  I,  "  seeing  that  the  tall  man  had  it 
first,  and  hath  a  reason  for  holding  it,  and  the  will 
to  fight,  to  him  I  give  it,  and  what  might  his  name 
be?" 

"  Roger  Truman,"  panted  the  young  fellow, 
"son  of  Giles  Truman,  carter  of  Portsmouth,  and 
this  is  for  our  old  horse  —  " 

"  Whose  name  is  Dray,"  I  interrupted. 

"  The  same  !  "  exclaimed  the  youth.  "  Pray, 
good  sir,  how  knew  you  so  ? " 

"  I  know  both  of  thy  honest  parents,"  I  returned, 
"  and,  when  home  again,  see  that  thou  serve  them 
as  faithfully  as  old  Dray  hath  done."  With  that  I 
concluded  and  made  believe  to  return  to  my  writ- 
ing that  was  spread  out  on  the  slope  of  the  taflTrail. 
I  watched,  out  of  the  tail  of  my  eye,  to  see  how  the 
lad  would  take  it,  and  he  would  have  come  to  the 
mast  to  speak  with  me  had  not  some  orders  been 
given  him  just  then  that  sent  him  and  his  fellows 
scampering  aloft.  Before  evening,  however,  I  had  a 
chance   to   talk   with   Roger    Truman,   and    knew 


142  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

after  a  few  words  that  I  had  found  a  friend  worth 
having,  for  he  shed  tears  when  I  told  him  my  story 
and  spoke  of  his  mother  and  how  she  mourned  him. 

YeSj  it  is  a  small  world,  after  all,  as  our  Captain 
once  remarked,  and  the  saying  was  doubtless  trite, 
before  they  knew  of  a  truth,  how  big  the  world  was. 
I  thought  of  the  kindness  that  the  two  good  people 
had  shown  me,  for  the  sake  of  this  same  wan- 
dering lad  that  I  had  met  by  the  merest  chance  in 
this  far  country.  But  he  was  better  off  than  I  was, 
for  he  had  welcome  and  a  home  to  return  to,  which 
I  had  not.  Thus  was  I  moralizing,  when  the  Cap- 
tain and  Diego,  the  black  man,  came  from  the  cabin 
and  began  talking  earnestly.  Diego  was,  as  I  have 
before  hinted,  a  noble  fellow  in  more  ways  than 
one ;  he  had  a  carriage  to  his  head  and  shoulders  I 
have  never  seen  the  equal  of  at  court.  His  features 
were  chiselled  and  cut  clean  like  a  white  man's, 
he  was  never  obsequious  or  fawning ;  in  fact,  from 
Drake  alone  did  he  take  orders,  and  although  he 
performed  in  a  measure  the  duties  of  a  body-ser- 
vant, he  was  both  companion,  confidant,  and  coun- 
sellor to  our  leader.  I  doubt  not  that  it  was  true 
that  he  had  the  blood  of  some  royal  line  in  him  as 
he  claimed. 

Drake,  seeing  me  standing  near,  called  me  to 
him  and  told  me  the  gist  of  what  had  passed. 
Diego  had  once  more  been  referring  to  our  alliance 


Roger  Truman  and  Thomas  Moone      143 

with  the  Maroons,  and  had  urged  that,  as  the  Span- 
iards were  all  on  watch  afloat,  looking  for  our  com- 
ing at  any  time  and  well  prepared  for  it,  we  should 
abandon  the  coast  and  strike  inland,  where  we  could 
profit  by  the  panic  into  which  they  fell  upon  being 
taken  by  surprise.  This  meant,  of  course,  a  com- 
plete change  in  all  our  plans,  but  it  promised  great 
reward  if  we  could  ever  escape  with  the  plunder  we 
might  gain.  The  big  ships  were  well-nigh  useless 
for  this  purpose,  as  the  river  shallows  prevented 
them  from  entering  any  stream  except  the  largest. 
But  the  pinnaces  were  just  what  were  needed, 
granted  that  we  had  them  fully  manned. 

Now  a  sailor  is  never  hot  to  turn  soldier ;  he 
dislikes  the  very  name,  he  wishes  to  have  his  vessel 
near  him  at  all  events  and  in  all  cases,  for  to  him 
she  is  a  citadel  and  stronghold  of  defence,  and,  if 
necessary  to  retreat,  she  goes  with  him.  Thus,  in 
a  sailor's  life,  there  is  an  element  that  enters  not 
into  that  of  a  soldier,  and  to  have  the  former  think 
and  act  after  the  manner  of  the  latter,  you  must 
burn  his  ships  behind  him.  Our  Captain  knew 
most  men  as  if  he  had  charts  of  their  minds,  and 
above  all,  he  knew  the  thoughts  and  methods  of 
mariners.  So,  having  decided  upon  what  was  best 
to  be  done,  he  called  no  council,  but  went  about,  in 
his  own  way,  to  accomplish  his  end. 

I  was  an  eye  and  ear  witness  to  a  strange  meeting, 


144  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

and  can  make  record  of  what  he  told  Thomas 
Moone,  our  carpenter,  late  that  night,  —  such  a 
brave,  fearless  fellow  this  Thomas!  —  I  was  in  the 
cabin  when  he  was  sent  for,  and  at  the  Captain's 
orders,  there  I  stayed  and  listened  to  all  that  was 
said. 

Moone,  being  duly  announced  by  the  cabin  boy, 
entered. 

"  Now,  Master  Moone,"  says  Drake,  "  first  swear 
that  thou  believest  what  I  tell  thee,  and  that  thou 
wilt  obey  me."  And  the  carpenter  thereat  makes 
solemn  oath.  "  Then  answer  me  some  questions 
before  I  charge  thee  with  my  will." 

"  Aye,  sir,  I  am  ready,"  saith  the  carpenter. 

"  My  brother  commands  the  Swan,  but  who 
owneth  her,  —  knowest  thou  that  ? " 

"It  is  said  none  less  than  thyself.  Captain." 

"  By  my  troth,  that  is  fact,"  says  Drake.  "  Every 
stick  and  every  stanchion.  It  would  grieve  my 
brother  to  give  her  up." 

"  Most  assuredly  it  would,  sir." 

"  It  would  cause  him  pain  if  told  to  sink  her  ?  " 

"  Sir,  beyond  all  manner  of  doubt  it  would." 
Thomas  Moone  stole  a  glance  at  me,  but  I,  not 
knowing  anything,  was  as  puzzled  as  he,  and  eke  I 
showed  it. 

"*Twould  pain  me  to  give  such  orders  to  him, 
but  she  must  be  sunk." 


Roger  Truman  and  Thomas  Moone      145 

"  But  she  is  new,  well  built,  and  in  good  trim," 
quoth  Moone.  "  I  implore  you  not ;  she  is  quick 
and  handy  !     I  pray  you,  Captain,  spare  her  !  " 

"  Much  as  I  hate  to  see  my  own  brother  and  his 
crew  bereaved  of  their  vessel,  she  must  go.  I  can 
do  what  I  like  with  mine  own,  and  'tis  for  the  good 
of  all.  In  thy  chest  thou  wilt  find  a  long  spike- 
auger.  The  Swan  must  sink  before  noon  to- 
morrow, and  slowly.  And  mark  this,  no  one  must 
know  but  the  three  who  are  here  present." 

"  I  will  get  my  throat  cut  if  I  am  found  at  such 
business,"  and  Thomas  drew  a  sigh  —  not  of  fear, 
but  of  regret. 

"That  risk  must  thou  take  at  my  bidding,  but 
regard  thy  oath  when  thy  throat  troubleth  thee." 

The  Captain  smiled,  and  Moone  stepped  nearer. 

"  She  will  lie  on  the  bottom  before  noonday,"  he 
said  earnestly. 

"  Three  holes  will  suffice,"  returned  the  Captain. 
"  And  now  hie  thee  forward  with  God's  blessing." 

I  knew  better  than  to  speak,  unless  I  was  spoken 
to,  after  the  carpenter  left  us,  and  so,  without  hav- 
ing the  mystery  explained,  I  wished  the  Captain  a 
good  night  and  went  up  on  deck,  where  I  was  wont 
to  sleep,  covered  up  with  a  sail-cloth  to  keep  out  the 
soaking  dew,  for  it  was  hot  in  the  'tween-decks.  But 
little  rest  came  to  my  eyelids  that  night.  I  could 
see  the  trim  little  Swan  where  she  lay  anchored  a 


146  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

cable's-length  from  us,  all  unmindful  of  her  coming 
fate,  and  nearby,  also,  the  prizes  that  we  had  taken 
—  then  eight  in  number.  That  they  were  to  be  dis- 
posed of,  also,  I  did  not  doubt ;  and  from  the  pres- 
ent my  mind  went  roaming  back  into  the  past.  I 
thought  of  what  a  strange  life  I  had  had,  of  my 
boyhood  in  Spain,  of  how  suddenly  I  had  grown  to 
be  a  man,  and  from  what  had  come  all  the  strange 
self-reliance  and  the  independent  spirit  that  I  felt 
in  my  bosom.  And  to  what  was  I  tending  ?  I  can 
now,  looking  back  again,  attribute  much  of  my 
nature  to  the  fact  that  I  had  been  so  often  and  so 
long  alone,  that  I  had  learned  to  think  and  reason 
out  things  at  a  time  when  most  boys  are  frolicking, 
or  asking  questions  of  their  elders.  And  I  think 
that  my  independence  and  love  of  adventure  was 
due  to  my  splendid  health,  my  knowledge  of  my 
size  and  strength,  and  the  idea  that  much  was  ex- 
pected of  me.  But  I  had  been  fortunate  also,  in 
finding  friends  —  first  Mr.  Blandford  and  the  Tru- 
mans,  then  my  captain  and  my  uncle,  and  now 
Roger  Truman.     Yes,  it  was  a  small  world. 


CHAPTER  XV 

THE    captain's    PLOT 


I  HAT  I  have  now  to  set  down  is  like 

Wunto  some  plays  that  I  wot  of,  both 
amusing  and  serious,  comedy  and  trag- 
edy interwoven  ;  at  least  it  appeared  so 
at  the  time,  for  I  myself  was  filled  with 
mingled  emotions  this  day,  to  be  sure.  Hardly 
was  the  sun  up  when  the  Captain  called  away  the 
jolly-boat,  and  setting  but  two  men  at  the  oars,  put 
out  for  the  Swan  that  lay  two  or  three  cable's- 
lengths  distant.     At  his  request  I  went  with  him. 

As  we  neared  the  vessel's  side,  against  which  the 
little  waves  rippled  and  chuckled  merrily,  the  Cap- 
tain stood  up  and,  seeing  John  Drake  looking  over 
the  rail,  he  addressed  him  thus :  — 

"  Ho  !  brother  mine,  come  out  with  me  a-fishing. 
I  know  a  spot,  hearkee,  not  far  from  hence,  where 
lies  such  a  school  of  dainty  monsters  as  would 
tempt  thy  eye  and  appetite.  Come  off  with  me, 
for  the  love  of  fair  sport  and  good  angling." 

I   saw  him   carefully  measure,  as  he  spoke,  the 

«47 


148  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

way  the  vessel  sat  in  the  water,  and  a  frown,  fol- 
lowed by  a  bright  sparkle  of  the  eye  and  a  half-hid 
smile,  crossed  his  face.  (On  the  peak  of  the  fore- 
castle was  Thomas  Moone,  talking  with  some  of  the 
crew ;  good  Thomas  was  evidently  in  the  middle  of 
a  yarn  of  some  kind,  for  all  were  laughing.)  John 
Drake  at  first  demurred,  on  plea  of  work  to  be  done, 
but  upon  the  invitation  being  repeated,  he  turned 
to  order  his  own  boat,  saying  with  small  grace  that 
he  would  follow  us,  but  that  he  "  was  a  poor  angler 
and  a  killjoy  at  such  sport." 

At  this  moment  I  saw  the  Swan  clearly  settle  at 
least  two  or  three  inches,  for  I  had  marked  a  line 
on  one  of  her  strakes  to  measure  by.  Captain 
Francis  noticed  this  also,  and  again  his  eye  twin- 
kled, but  he  gave  the  order  for  the  two  sailors  to 
pull  ahead,  and  we  passed  under  the  bows  of  the 
smitten  craft.  As  we  did  so,  the  Captain  looked  up, 
and  when  he  had  acknowledged  the  salute  of  the 
crew,  he  asked  very  casually  and  in  a  careless  tone 
this  question  :  — 

"  What  aileth  your  vessel,  lads,  she  sets  so  deep 
this  morning  ? " 

At  this  they  looked  over  the  side,  and  there  arose 
a  great  excfaiming.  A  man  (who  afterwards  proved 
to  be  the  steward)  jumped  down  into  the  waist  and 
hastened  to  descend  the  ladder  of  the  mid-hatch. 
In  a  moment  he  appeared  with  his  hair  all  on  end. 


The  Captain's  Plot  149 

his  face  as  white  as  a  lady's  kerchief,  and  his  mouth 
like  a  cavern. 

"  We're  sinking  !  "  he  yelled.  "  Man  the  pumps  ! 
The  water  in  the  hold  is  up  to  my  middle !  Man 
the  pumps ! " 

Now  there  was  a  great  hullaballoo !  I  thought 
I  heard  the  Captain  chuckle  to  himself  as  his  brother 
John  came  running  forward  and  in  a  half-frightened 
voice  began  shouting  over  the  bulwarks. 

"  Some  mishap  has  befallen  us,  and  we've  sprung 
a  leak ! "  he  called.  "  I  pray  you  to  allow  me  to 
stay  until  we  find  out  what  has  taken  place,  and  get 
the  vessel  dry,  for  it  cannot  be  of  much  account." 

But  it  was  of  much  account,  and  cunningly 
must  Moone  have  done  the  scuttling.  There  was 
no  bubbling  or  noise,  and  despite  the  fact  that  all 
labored  at  the  pumps,  the  crew  from  the  pinnace 
helping,  —  for  we  went  on  board  at  once, — the  water 
gained.  Captain  Francis  now  appeared  as  if  he  had 
altered  his  mind  entirely,  and  encouraged  the  fellows 
at  the  pumps  and  bade  his  brother  also  keep  up  his 
spirits.  But  every  time  he  passed  me,  he  would 
give  me  a  poke  in  the  ribs  or  a  playful  buffet  with 
hx3  elbow,  although  his  face  was  solemn  as  a  grave- 
digger's.  Well,  to  be  short,  by  great  elkertions  we 
kept  the  Swan  afloat  and  no  more ;  but  at  three  o' 
the  clock  in  the  afternoon  John  Drake  saw  that  fur- 
ther work  was  useless,  and  gave  over  in  despair. 


150  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

"  What  shall  we  do  ?  *'  he  asked  the  Captain. 
"  The  water  gains,  and  our  men  weaken  !  " 

"  Let  her  sink,"  was  the  reply.  "  She  is  surely- 
bewitched,  and  'tis  best  to  let  her  go  ere  she  drowns 
all  of  you ;  and  now  let  us  turn  to,  and  save  what 
we  can  from  the  fishes." 

So  all  hands,  except  a  few  who  were  kept  pump- 
ing, began  to  break  out  the  upper  hold  and  to  get 
everything  of  value  overboard  into  the  boats.  At 
this  they  made  great  progress ;  from  the  first,  most 
of  them  had  seen  that  the  vessel  was  doomed.  That 
our  Captain  had  an  exceeding  warm  heart  and  was 
touched  by  his  brother's  sorrow,  was  evident,  for  as 
they  stood  apart  he  spoke  to  him  thus,  quietly :  — 

"  Brother,"  he  said,  "  take  command  of  the 
Pacha ;  she  is  a  larger  and  finer  ship,  and  to  you  I 
give  her,  against  the  time  that  we  capture  a  better, 
that  will  be  thine  for  the  asking." 

John  Drake  was  so  overcome  that  he  could 
scarce  reply,  but  placing  his  arm  about  the  Cap- 
tain's shoulder  he  gave  him  a  hug  like  a  school- 
boy, which  spoke  more  than  words  could.  After 
the  Swan  had  been  well  stripped,  she  was  set  fire  to 
and  sank  blazing  in  the  still  water,  half  hid  in  a 
cloud  of  vapor.  Not  even  did  her  masts  show,  for 
the  anchorage,  though  close  to  shore,  was  nigh  fifteen 
fathoms  deep. 

This  same  day  did  we  put  the  torch  to  all  the 


The  Captain's  Plot  151 

prizes  except  two ;  these  were  sent  out  with  all  sail 
set,  and  helms  lashed  amidships,  to  go  whither  they 
wished  or  the  wind  might  waft  them,  and  to  be 
picked  up  or  be  sunk  as  fate  might  decree. 

And  thus  did  Captain  Drake  persuade  the  Span- 
ish that  he  had  abandoned  these  waters  and  had 
left  their  shores  for  good  and  all.  But  not  so. 
Taking  advantage  of  the  half  moonlight,  we  crowded 
into  the  pinnaces,  and  followed  by  the  Pacha,  deep 
laden  with  our  spoil ;  thus  we  made  out  from  the 
bay  and  headed  into  the  Gulf  of  Darien,  intending 
to  make  a  landing  on  the  main  coast  and  then  — 
what?  No  one  really  knew  but  Captain  Francis, 
Diego,  and  myself,  so  I  thought,  but  there  was  one 
other  —  my  Uncle  Alley n,  who  told  me  in  secret 
that  he  had  fathomed  the  Captain's  plot  and  heartily 
approved  of  it.  But  he  declared  also  that  no  other 
would  have  dared  to  think  of  it,  or  having  dared,  to 
put  it  into  practice. 

We  sighted  one  day,  as  we  followed  the  trend  of 
the  coast,  a  tall  two-topped  mountain  rising  against 
the  sky,  and  it  was  without  doubt  what  our  Cap- 
tain had  been  on  the  lookout  for,  as  he  then  or- 
dered us  to  follow  him  more  closely,  and  after  a 
few  leagues  of  rather  ticklish  sailing,  he  signalled 
from  the  pinnace  to  close  up,  and  we  entered  a 
land-locked  harbor  much  like  the  one  that  we  had 
dropped  anchor  in    at  the  Isle  of  the    Pheasants. 


152  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

There  we  found  a  clearing  on  the  larboard  hand  as 
we  came  in,  and  unloading  the  Pacha  until  there 
was  little  left  but  her  skin,  she  was  warped  close  to 
shore  and  vines  and  trailing  foliage  entwined  in  her 
rigging.  Under  the  direction  of  Diego  some  of  the 
crew  busied  themselves  building  huts  out  of  palm 
leaves,  while  others  set  up  forges,  baking-ovens, 
and  storehouses  in  which  to  keep  our  treasure  and 
supplies.  This  was  all  happening  during  the  season 
known  as  the  Great  Rains,  and  verily  I  believe  I 
have  never  seen  such  a  continued  downpour  or 
more  drenching  storms  excepting  the  memorable 
one  at  Nombre  de  Dios ;  but  now  it  was  every  day 
the  same,  although  we  had  some  bright  weather 
between  times  and  employed  it  in  fishing,  hunting, 
playing  at  games  such  as  bowls  and  the  like,  and 
at  the  first  all  kept  in  fine  health. 

The  fact  was  held  from  the  men  that  five  months 
must  ensue  before  we  could  attempt  our  inland 
raid,  as,  to  Drake's  chagrin,  the  Maroons  (with 
whom  we  had  made  friends)  informed  us  that  the 
mule  trains  did  not  move  until  the  advent  of  the 
dry  season,  when  the  rivers  were  less  like  the  raging 
torrents  that  they  were  during  the  rains. 

The  Captain  had  not  counted  on  this,  or  else  he 
would  not  have  been  in  such  a  hurry  to  burn  his 
ships,  I  am  sure,  and  no  doubt  he  was  in  a  quandary 
what  to  do  to  keep  his  men  busy,  for  that  is  per- 


The  Captain's  Plot  153 

force  necessary  in  any  community,  big  or  small, 
afloat  or  ashore.  Otherwise  there  will  be  mischief 
after  the  manner  of  human  flesh,  quarrels,  gaming, 
drunkenness,  or  disease.  So,  before  a  fortnight  had 
passed,  at  the  risk  of  betraying  to  the  Spaniards 
that  "  El  Capitan,"  whom  they  so  dreaded  (and 
admired  of  course),  was  still  with  them,  Drake 
started  on  a  cruise  with  two  of  the  pinnaces,  and 
while  he  was  gone  we  shifted  everything,  but  a  little 
that  we  hid  and  buried,  back  into  the  Pacha  and 
the  other  craft,  and  moved  our  camp  some  leagues 
to  the  westward,  where  we  landed  at  the  mouth  of 
a  river  that  we  called  the  Diego,  after  our  black 
companion.  Here  a  fort  was  built,  the  boats  con- 
cealed again,  and  another  little  village  completed. 
I  have  always  thought  that  this  was  a  bad  move,  as 
the  first  place  was  by  all  odds  the  healthier  —  but  it 
is  easy  to  reason  backwards,  and  I  may  be  wrong. 

After  some  time,  when  we  had  everything  in  our 
new  quarters  in  shipshape  order,  the  Captain  again 
appeared  with  two  prizes  laden  with  supplies  and 
fresh  beef,  and  also  some  sugar  and  a  few  pearls. 
He  said  that  he  had  put  the  Spanish  on  the  wrong 
scent  by  appearing  to  the  east  of  Cartagena,  and  he 
had  been  up  the  Magdalena  River,  and  plundered  a 
good  part  of  the  province  of  Neuva  Reyna,  finding 
enough  there  to  support  an  army  in  the  storehouses. 
Strange  to  say,  although  he  had  met  with  some  op- 


154  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

position,  he  had  not  lost  a  man  !  My  uncle,  who  had 
accompanied  him,  had  a  deal  to  say  of  the  fine  head- 
work  that  our  leader  had  displayed,  but  he  felt  more 
assured  of  one  thing.  If  God  had  not  had  the  whole 
of  them  under  his  special  care,  they  would  have  met 
with  disaster  more  than  once.  I  had  been  rather 
unhappy  at  being  left  out  of  this  expedition,  but 
had  been  so  busy  that  I  had  found  little  time  to 
brood  over  it.  Now  again  we  began  to  grow  in- 
dolent ;  for  another  two  weeks  nothing  was  done 
but  eat  and  sleep. 


CHAPTER  XVI 


MY    uncle's    tale 


lURING  these  pleasant  days,  while  we 
were  refreshing  our  bodies  and  souls  with 
liberty  and  freedom,  I  asked  my  uncle  a 

'  question  in  regard  to  the* writing  of  Sir 

John  Hawkins,  to  which  he  had  once  referred ;  and 
one  day,  as  we  lay  beneath  the  shadow  of  a  grove 
of  great  palm  trees,  he  handed  me  the  following  that 
I  transcribed  and  kept  a  copy  of.  It  was  written 
by  Sir  John  himself,  in  a  very  legible  script. 

It  seems  that  Hawkins,  with  a  little  fleet  of  three 
vessels,  the  Jesus  of  Lubec,  the  Minion^  on  board  of 
which  was  my  uncle,  and  the  Judith^  —  the  last  under 
command  of  Francis  Drake,  —  had  been  on  a  trading 
expedition  into  the  Spanish  Main,  but,  having  met 
with  misfortune,  and  being  hard  put  to  it  from  bad 
weather  and  failing  supplies,  he  was  compelled  to 
seek  port  and  succor.  Finding  himself  at  the 
mouth  of  the  harbor  of  San  Juan  de  Ulua,  and  being 
honest  in  his  intentions  (the  open  maurauding  of 
the  English  had  not  then  begun,  it  might  be  stated), 
he  considered  it  safe  to  enter,  as  ships  of  one  friendly 

155 


156  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

nation  might,  the  ports  of  another.  But  before  he 
did  so,  he  negotiated  with  the  Governor  for  permis- 
sion, and  everything  was  arranged  in  a  manner  that 
appeared  satisfactory.  So  in  he  sailed,  and  anchored 
close  to  a  little  island,  upon  which  he  landed  a  few 
guns  and  built  a  small  fort.  Perhaps  this  showeth 
that  he  suspected  some  treachery,  but  it  was  more 
of  a  precaution  than  a  menace.  While  there,  the 
long-expected  Spanish  fleet  arrived  from  Cadiz  and 
Seville,  and,  seeing  that  the  English  were  in  the 
harbor,  they  anchored  outside  the  entrance.  An- 
other conference  was  held  with  the  Viceroy,  and  a 
second  agreement  was  entered  into,  Hawkins  ex- 
plaining that  his  mission  was  peaceful,  his  desires 
just,  and  his  situation  forced  upon  him  against  his 
will.  The  Spanish  admiral  (all  bows  and  smiles) 
had  kindly  promised  to  do  all  in  his  power  to  help 
him,  and  to  further  his  departure. 

All  this  my  Uncle  Alleyn  explained  to  me  in  a 
few  words,  for  he  was  a  man  of  short  speech ;  and 
then  he  bade  me  read  what  Hawkins  had  writ,  for 
the  reason  that  it  had  been  already  printed  in  Eng- 
land, and,  though  it  contained  one  serious  error, 
that  he  would  correct ;  it  told  how  it  happened  that 
English  sailors  (and  our  Captain  especially)  had 
come  to  prey  upon  the  Spanish  commerce  as  of  a 
right.  Here  follows  what  Sir  John  hath  written 
over  his  own  name,  transcribed  truly  as  aforesaid ; 


My  Uncle*s  Tale  157 

and  all  this  had  taken  place  but  five  years  before  the 
time  proper  of  which  I  am  now  writing. 

"At  the  end  of  three  days,"  began  the  paper, 
"  the  treaty  was  concluded,  and  the  fleet  (viz.  the 
Spanish)  entered  the  port,  the  two  fleets  saluting  one 
another,  according  to  custom.  We  then  labored 
two  days  to  place  the  English  by  themselves  and 
the  Spaniards  by  themselves ;  the  captains  and  the 
seamen,  on  each  side,  promising  all  friendly  offices 
to  each  other ;  which  as  faithfully  as  it  was  meant 
on  our  parts,  was  as  treacherously  designed  on 
theirs ;  for  they  had  furnished  themselves  from  the 
continent  with  a  supply  of  a  thousand  men,  and  had 
formed  a  design  of  falling  upon  us,  on  all  sides  at 
once,  on  the  twenty-third  of  September,  at  noon. 

"  The  same  morning,  the  time  fixed  for  the  execu- 
tion of  their  villany  being  then  near  at  hand,  we 
began  to  discover  some  appearances  of  it,  such  as 
shifting  of  arms  from  one  ship  to  the  other,  planting 
and  levelling  of  their  cannon  from  their  ships  toward 
the  Island,  where  our  men  had  the  guard,  companies 
of  men  moving  to  and  fro,  more  than  their  common 
occupations  required,  and  many  other  circumstances 
which  gave  us  a  vehement  suspicion.  We,  there- 
fore, sent  to  the  Viceroy  (the  same  who  had 
signed  the  agreement)  to  enquire  what  this  meant. 
He  immediately  sent  strict  orders  to  remove  all 
the  cause    of  suspicion,    and    assured   us    that   he. 


158  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

on  the  faith  of  a  Viceroy,  would  be  our  de- 
fence against  all  treachery.  This  answer  not 
being,  however,  satisfactory,  we  were  suspecting  a 
great  number  of  men  to  be  hid,  in  a  large  ship  of 
nine  hundred  tun,  which  was  moored  next  to  the 
Minion^  we  sent  the  master  of  the  Jesus^  who  could 
speak  Spanish,  again  to  the  Viceroy,  and  desired  to 
be  informed  of  the  truth.  The  Viceroy,  seeing  he 
now  could  conceal  his  treachery  no  longer,  detained 
our  Master,  and,  causing  the  trumpet  to  be  sounded, 
the  Spaniards  set  upon  us,  on  all  sides,  at  once. 
Our  men  on  shore,  being  dismayed  at  the  unex- 
pected onset,  fled,  and  endeavored  to  recover  their 
ships ;  but  the  Spaniards  landed  their  men  in  such 
numbers,  on  all  sides,  that  very  few  of  them  got  on 
board  of  the  Jesus,  the  rest  being  slain,  without 
quarter.  The  great  ship,  which  had  about  three 
hundred  men  privately  put  on  board,  fell  immedi- 
ately on  board  the  Minion ;  but  in  the  time  we  had 
the  suspicion  of  the  treachery,  which  was  not  above 
half  an  hour,  she  had  loosened  her  fastenings  to  the 
shore,  and  so,  escaping  this  first  brunt,  got  out  of 
the  harbor.  Upon  this,  the  great  ship,  with  two 
others,  set  upon  the  Jesus ;  but  she,  likewise,  with 
great  difficulty,  and  the  loss  of  many  of  her  men, 
got  out  to  sea. 

"  No  sooner  were  the  Jesus  and  the  Minion  got 
about  two  ships*  length  from  the  Spanish  fleet,  than 


My  Uncle's  Tale  159 

the  fight  began  to  be  so  warm  on  all  sides,  that,  in 
less  than  an  hour  the  Spanish  Admiral  was  supposed 
to  be  sunk,  the  Vice-Admiral  burnt,  and  another 
of  their  chief  ships  believed  to  be  sunk,  so  that  they, 
from  their  vessels,  could  not  do  us  much  harm. 

"  The  cannon  on  the  Island  was,  in  the  mean- 
time, fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  Spaniards ;  and  it 
was  with  them  they  now  chiefly  gauled  us.  The 
masts,  yards,  and  rigging  of  the  Jesus  were  so  shat- 
tered, that  we  had  now  no  hopes  left  of  carrying 
her  off.  With  this  cannon,  likewise,  they  sunk  our 
small  ships.  We,  therefore,  resolved  to  place  the 
Minion  in  such  manner  that  the  Jesus  might  lie  be- 
tween her  and  the  shore,  and  be,  as  it  were,  a  fence 
to  secure  her  from  the  enemy's  cannon  till  night, 
when  we  determined  to  take  what  provisions  and 
necessaries  we  could  out  of  the  Jesus,  and  then  leave 
her. 

"  While  we  were  thus  consulting,  and  endeavoring 
to  place  the  Minion  out  of  danger  of  the  shot  from 
the  shore,  the  Spaniards  set  fire  to  two  great  ships, 
and  let  them  drive  down  toward  us.  Upon  this, 
the  men  on  board  the  Minion,  without  either  the 
Captain's  or  master's  consent,  set  sail  in  such  hurry 
and  confusion,  that  it  was  not  without  great  diffi- 
culty that  I  was  received  on  board. 

"  Most  of  the  men  which  were  left  alive  in  the 
JesuSy  made  shift  to  follow  the  Minion  in  a  small 


i6o  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

boat ;  but  the  rest,  who  could  not  get  into  the  boat, 
were  left  to  the  mercy  of  the  Spaniards.  Thus  the 
MinioHy  with  only  one  small  bark  of  fifty  tuns  —  the 
Judith  —  escaped  the  treachery  of  the  Spaniards ; 
but  the  same  night  the  Judith,  likewise,  forsook  us. 
We  were  now  left  alone  with  only  two  anchors  and 
two  cables,  our  ship  so  damaged  that  it  was  as  much 
as  we  could  do  to  keep  her  above  water,  and  a  great 
number  of  us  with  very  little  provisions.  We  were, 
besides,  divided  in  opinion  what  to  do.  Some 
were  for  yielding  to  the  Spaniards ;  others  chose 
rather  to  submit  to  the  mercy  of  the  savages ;  and 
again,  others  thought  it  more  eligible  to  keep  to 
the  sea,  tho*  with  so  scanty  allowance  of  victuals 
as  would  hardly  suffice  to  keep  us  alive. 

"In  this  miserable  plight  we  ranged  an  unknown 
sea  for  fourteen  days,  till  extreme  famine  obliged  us 
to  seek  for  land.  So  great  was  our  misery  that 
hides  were  reckoned  good  food.  Rats,  cats,  mice, 
and  dogs,  —  none  escaped  us  that  we  could  lay  our 
hands  on ;  parrots  and  monkeys  were  our  dainties. 
In  this  condition  we  came  to  land  on  the  eighth  of 
October,  at  the  bottom  of  the  Bay  of  Mexico,  in 
three  and  twenty  degrees  and  a  half,  where  we  hoped 
to  have  found  inhabitants  of  the  Spaniards,  relief 
of  victuals,  and  a  proper  place  to  repair  our  ship ; 
but  we  found  everything  just  contrary  to  our  expec- 
tation.    Neither  inhabitants,  nor  provisions,  nor  a 


My  Uncle's  Tale  i6i 

haven  for  the  relief  of  our  ship.  Many  of  our  men, 
nevertheless,  being  worn  out  with  hunger,  desired 
to  be  set  on  shore,  to  which  I  consented. 

"  Of  about  two  hundred  souls  we  then  were,  one 
hundred  chose  to  seek  their  fortune  on  land,  on 
which  they  were  set,  with  great  difficulty ;  and  with 
the  remainder,  after  having  watered,  I  again  sub- 
mitted to  the  mercy  of  the  seas,  and  set  sail  on  the 
sixteenth  of  October." 

So  wrote  John  Hawkins.  I  had  read  this  aloud, 
and  my  Uncle  AUeyn  had  listened  attentively  to  all 
of  it. 

"  Now,"  said  he,  "  I  was  on  board  the  Minion,  as 
I  have  told  thee,  and  I  know  two  things.  First, 
that  the  Judith  did  not  desert  us,  but  having  had 
her  stern  post  and  steering  gear  shot  clean  away, 
she  was  compelled  to  drive  before  the  wind,  un- 
manageable and  hopeless,  until  a  new  rudder  was 
made  and  new  gear  rove,  which,  on  account  of  the 
weather,  took  the  best  part  of  four  days.  Then,  of 
course,  there  was  no  use  in  searching  for  us  in  the 
Minion;  we  had  disappeared  to  the  southward. 
Secondly,  Drake,  like  a  true,  loyal  soul,  cruised  for 
a  week,  constantly  on  the  lookout,  ere  he  departed 
for  England.  Every  one  who  had  aught  to  do 
with  that  expedition  was  ruined.  It  cost  many  lives 
and  much  suffering  that  is  not  yet  over.  Rotting 
in  dungeons,  or  slaving  at  the  galley  sweeps,  are 


1 62  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

scores  of  English  who  were  honest  traders  and 
guilty  of  no  crime  whatsoever.  Canst  thou  blame 
us  now  that  we  seek  to  regain  our  own  and  get 
revenged  ?  "  My  uncle  threw  both  his  hands  above 
his  head. 

"  Curse  them  !  curse  them  one  and  all !  "  he  cried. 
"  There  is  a  long  score  to  pay,  and  some  day,  God 
willing,  it  will  be  paid  —  paid  in  so  much  blood  as 
will  tinge  the  sea  waves  and  color  the  sands  o' 
the  shore.  Aye,  lad,  we  will  live  to  see  it  — 
praise  God  once  more  !  " 

The  change  in  my  uncle's  manner  of  speech  had 
come  so  quickly  that  I  was  startled ;  for,  until  his 
outburst,  he  had  been  talking  in  the  quiet  way  that 
was  usual  with  him,  and  now,  having  concluded,  he 
sank  into  silence. 

I  did  not  disturb  him  for  some  time,  and  then  I 
could  no  longer  curb  my  curiosity. 

"  How  did  you  get  to  England  ? "  I  asked  half- 
fearsomely. 

"  I  was  one  of  the  poor  devils  who  were  thrust 
ashore,"  he  said.  "  That  is,  to  be  honest,  I  chose 
to  go,  for  the  reason  that  I  loved  well  some  of  the 
men  whom  Hawkins  put  out  of  the  ship,  for  they 
had  little  choice  in  the  matter." 

But  now,  as  my  uncle's  tale  would  fill  a  volume, 
I  will  tell  it  as  I  wrote  it  out  for  Master  Purchas, 
the  chronicler  (who  hath  published  the  story),  and 


My  Uncle's  Tale  163 

he  hath  told  me  that  it  was  confirmed  by  the 
account  he  had  of  one  Miles  Philips  (hereinafter 
mentioned).  The  tale  took  up  all  the  evening,  and 
lasted  far  into  the  night,  so  I  have  shortened  it 
and  tell  it  in  my  own  words.  But  this  is  not  trust- 
ing to  my  memory,  as  I  wrote  the  main  part  out  at 
the  time,  and  Alleyn  Maunsell  said  it  was  clear  and 
true.  But  to  go  on  with  the  story  that  is  not 
mine,  but  his,  and  thus  return  to  the  adventures 
of  those  whom  Hawkins  set  ashore  to  the  mercies  of 
the  Spanish  and  Indian  savages. 

When  they  left  the  Minion,  my  uncle  said 
they  numbered  one  hundred  and  fourteen  souls, 
weakened  by  starving  and  disease.  One  boat, 
not  being  able  to  get  on  shore,  two  of  the  men  were 
drowned,  and  the  rest  got  a  mile  thro*  the  sea  to 
the  shore  as  well  as  they  could.  Some  died  in  two 
hours*  space  with  too  abundant  drinking  of  fresh 
water;  others  were  swollen  exceedingly  with  salt 
water,  and  from  eating  fruits  they  found ;  a  shower 
of  rain,  also,  leaving  them  not  one  thread  dry.  It 
was  as  if  heaven  had  pursued  the  sea*s  challenge 
without,  and  partly  hunger,  and  partly  the  water 
and  fruits  of  the  earth  within  their  bowels,  had  con- 
spired against  this  unhappy  crew. 

The  Chicbemici  Indian  savages  added  their  in- 
humanity, killing  eight  of  their  company  in  the  first 
onset;  but  they  yielding,  having  neither  weapons 


164  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

nor  heart  to  resist,  the  savages  perceiving  them 
not  to  be  their  Spanish  enemies,  pointed  them  to  the 
port  of  Panuco.  So  they  divided  themselves  into 
two  companies,  one  going  westward,  among  whom 
was  Miles  Philips  ;  and  the  other  northward,  among 
whom  was  David  Ingram,  who  both  came  afterward 
to  England. 

After  the  stinging  of  flies,  deaths  by  Indians,  and 
manifold  miseries,  the  western  company  got  to 
Panuco,  where  the  Governor  stripped  them  of  the 
little  which  they  had,  and  deprived  them  of  their 
liberty,  calling  them  "  English  dogs  and  Lutheran 
Heretics."  When  they  desired  the  assistance  of 
their  surgeons  for  such  as  the  Indians  had  wounded 
by  the  way,  he  answered,  they  should  have  no  other 
surgeon  but  the  hangman.  After  four  days  he 
sent  for  them  out  of  the  prison,  and  with  many  new 
halters  (with  which  they  were  in  expectation  of  suf- 
fering), he  bound  and  sent  them  to  Mexico,  ninety 
leagues  distant,  with  a  great  guard  of  Indians.  If 
some  of  their  keepers  used  them  mercifully,  the 
others  would  knock  them  down,  and  cry,  "  March, 
march,  English  dogs,  Lutherans,  enemies  of  God." 

After  their  coming  to  Mexico  many  died,  but 
the  rest  had  kind  usage  in  the  hospital.  Thence 
they  were  carried  to  Tescuco  to  be  used  as  slaves, 
where  by  the  means  of  one,  Robert  Sweeting  (son 
of  an  Englishman  by  a  Spanish  woman),  they  met 


My  Uncle's  Tale  165 

with  great  assistance  from  the  Indians,  or  else  had 
all  perished. 

After  this  they  were  put  to  the  Spaniards,  as  ser- 
vants, and  were  allowed  the  means  to  get  some- 
thing for  themselves,  till  they  became  a  prey  to 
the  hellish  Inquisition,  which  seized  their  goods 
and  persons,  and  shut  them  asunder,  in  dungeons, 
for  a  year  and  a  half.  By  frequent  examinations, 
they  endeavored  to  pump  something  out  of  them, 
in  matters  of  faith,  and  not  being  able  (the  prisoners 
craving  mercy,  as  men  who  came  into  that  country 
by  stress  of  weather),  nevertheless,  the  Spaniards 
put  them  to  the  rack,  to  extort  confession  that  way, 
which  made  some  betray  their  own  lives.  After 
solemn  proclamation  that  all  might  come  to  this 
sight,  they  were  brought  in  fools'  coats,  with  ropes 
about  their  necks,  and  candles  in  their  hands,  to  the 
scaffold.  George  Rively  (my  uncle's  great  friend), 
Peter  Monfrie,  and  Cornelius  an  Irishman,  were 
burnt,  others  condemned  to  two  hundred  or 
three  hundred  blows  on  horseback  with  long  whips 
and  to  serve  in  the  galleys,  six,  eight,  or  ten  years ; 
others  to  serve  in  the  monasteries,  in  the  St.  Benito 
(or  fools'  coats)  divers  years,  of  which  Philips  was  one. 
The  whipping  was  cruelly  executed  on  Good  Friday, 
two  criers  going  before  and  proclaiming,  "  Behold 
these  English  Lutherans,  Dogs,  Enemies  of  God  !  " 
the  inquisitors  themselves,  and  their  familiars  cry- 


1 66  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

ing :  "  Strike !  lay  on  those  English  Heretics,  Lu- 
therans, God's  Enemies."  They  were  remanded  to 
prison,  all  bloody  and  swollen,  in  order  to  be  sent 
to  Spain,  to  perform  the  rest  of  their  martyrdom. 
It  was  while  in  this  prison  that  my  uncle  met  with 
deliverance. 

Of  the  daring  escape  that  gave  him  his  free- 
dom, he  made  light;  but  it  was  accomplished 
with  the  aid  of  a  woman,  who  loved  him  of  course, 
and  I  verily  believe  that  in  his  heart  he  returned 
the  affection,  though  she  was  a  half-Indian  (the 
mistress  of  the  gaoler)  and  a  worshipper  of  idols. 
When  he  had  returned  to  England  (having  been 
placed  on  board  a  Huguenot  vessel  that  appeared 
off  the  Mexican  coast,  through  the  aid  of  this 
woman,  who  cut  away  his  chains  and  brought 
him  to  the  vessel  in  a  canoe),  he  was  penniless, 
and  broken  in  health  and  spirit ;  destitute  of 
means  to  feed  himself,  or  to  push  his  claim  to  his 
brother's  (my  father's)  estates.  Now,  since  I  had 
appeared,  he  was  truly  in  a  worse  position ;  he 
had  no  hope  or  future,  nothing  but  his  sword,  he 
being  more  of  a  soldier  than  a  sailor-man. 

Once  only  at  the  end  of  the  recounting  had  I 
asked  a  question.  "  What  became  of  the  rest  of 
your  comrades  ?  "   I  queried. 

"  God  alone  knows,"  he  answered ;  "  they  may 
all  be  dead.     I  wot  not.     Or  they  may  be  all  slaving 


My  Uncle's  Tale  167 

and  suffering,  which  is  worse.  But  there  will  be  a 
justice  and  a  retribution  on  the  heads  of  their 
oppressors,  and  if  I  am  but  a  humble  instrument 
in  the  performance  of  such.  Heaven  give  me  the 
strength  of  ten,  for  I  owe  them  blows  without 
number.  This  very  day  should  England  be  at 
open  war  with  Spain  !  Ask  any  sailor,  ask  any  one 
but  the  faint  hearts  who  have  got  the  ear  of  our 
good  Queen,  to  our  shame  be  it." 

After  this  I  felt  no  longer  any  pricking  of  con- 
science when  we  took  any  Spanish  treasure,  and 
truly  up  to  this  time  it  seemed  as  if  we  had  God 
with  us,  as  my  uncle  said.  For  some  nights  I 
dreamed  of  those  poor  fellows,  captive  and  forlorn,^ 
and  the  memory  of  that  dreadful  day  (which  seemed 

lit  is  interesting  indeed  to  follow  out  their  fate,  and  it  worked  out  that, 
**  Philips,  and  the  rest,  having  served  their  times,  had  their  fool's  coats  hung  up 
in  the  chief  church.  The  rest  married  there  (in  Mexico)  j  but  Philips  escaped  a 
second  imprisonment,  and,  after  many  travels  in  the  country,  and  dangers  in  Spain, 
returned  to  England,  in  1582. 

"Job  Hortop,  another  of  this  company,  with  some  others,  were  also  sent  pris- 
oners into  Spain,  by  the  Viceroy,  with  Don  Joan  de  Valesco  de  Varre,  Admiral 
and  General  of  the  Spanish  fleet.  Offering  to  make  their  escape,  they  were  dis- 
covered, and  severely  stocked  :  then  imprisoned  a  year  in  the  Contretation  House, 
in  Sevil,  but  breaking  prison  were  taken,  and  by  the  Inquisition  sentenced  :  Robert 
Barret  and  John  Gilbert,  to  be  burnt ;  Job  Hortop  and  John  Bone  to  the  Gallies 
for  ten  years,  and  after  that  to  perpetual  imprisonment.  Others  were  adjudged  to 
the  Gallies,  some  eight,  some  five  years.  Hortop  served  twelve  years,  in  hunger, 
thirst,  cold  and  stripes,  and  after  four  years  imprisonment,  in  his  fool's  coat,  was 
redeemed  to  the  service  of  Hernando  de  Soria,  from  whom,  after  three  years  service 
more,  he  stole  away,  and  landed  at  Portsmouth  in  December  1590,  after  three  and 
twenty  years  miserable  bondage."  — Purcbas. 


1 68  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

to  have  been  in  another  age  and  life)  when  Selwyn 
Powys  stood  before  the  Inquisitors  and  died  for 
telling  the  truth,  would  come  to  me ;  then  I  shud- 
dered, but  was  glad  I  had  grown  so  quickly  from  a 
boy  to  be  a  man.  I  understood  better  than  before 
why  Drake  and  his  yeomen  felt  that  they  had  a 
right  to  prey  on  the  Spaniards'  commerce  and  take 
their  treasure  wherever  they  found  it. 


CHAPTER  XVII 


COUNTED    OUT 


HE  Captain,  now  having  time  to  spare, 
took  up  with  me  again  his  lessons  in  the 
Spanish,  and  despite  a  strong  accent  (that 

'  never  left  him,  by  the  bye),  he  was  soon 

able  to  converse  well  enough  for  all  his  purposes. 
Henceforth  he  interviewed  the  prisoners  himself, 
and  he  was  great  at  it;  I  verily  believe  that  he 
could  perceive  a  lie  forming  in  a  man*s  mind  in 
time  to  nail  the  same  on  his  lips ;  the  glance  of 
those  light  blue  eyes  of  his  would  go  through  some 
poor  trembling  devil  as  were  they  rays  from  a  burn- 
ing-glass. His  own  people  knew  this  well  and 
never  sought  to  deceive  him  —  woe  betide  the  un- 
lucky knave  he  caught  in  a  falsehood. 

One  day  the  crew  (such  as  were  not  employed  at 
repainting  the  pinnaces)  were  indulging  in  some 
sports  of  the  green,  wrestling,  running,  and  merry- 
making; amongst  other  games,  a  half-dozen  stout 
fellows  were  toying  with  a  round  shot  on  the  sward 
near  the  water's  edge.  Young  Roger  Truman  was 
no  bad  hand  at  this,  and  as  the  Captain  and  the 

169 


lyo  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

rest  of  us  were  watching,  the  men  were  eager  in 
their  attempt  to  outvie  each  other.  It  came  Rog- 
er's turn  again,  and  he  made  a  manful  hoist. 

"  Come,  young  Master  Scrivener,"  cried  Drake, 
clapping  me  on  the  shoulder,  "there  is  a  lusty 
youth,  younger  than  thou  art."  (Roger  was  older 
than  I,  as  I  have  said,  but  he  did  not  appear  so.) 
"  Come,  see  what  thou  canst  do  at  such  brave  pitch 
and  toss."  With  that  he  shoved  me  forward,  and 
I  being  really  keen  to  play  was  nothing  loath.  So 
I  took  up  the  shot. 

"  Well  done ! "  cried  every  one  at  my  first  at- 
tempt, for  I  had  bested  them  all  by  half-a-yard  at 
least. 

"  Well  done,  indeed  !  "  echoed  the  Captain,  laugh- 
ing. "  So  steering  a  pen  has  not  hurt  thy  muscles. 
That  yon  is  a  fair  put  for  a  stripling." 

"  I  will  wager  a  ducat  that  there  is  none  of  the 
company  can  beat  Master  MaunselFs  mark,"  spoke 
up  John  Oxenham  (and  I  could  have  loved  him  for 
so  saying,  being  puffed  with  pride). 

"And  I  will  wager  the  same,"  put  in  Ellis  Hixon, 
hefting  the  ball  in  his  hands. 

The  crew  had  stopped  their  sport,  and  all  gath- 
ered near,  as  men  will  when  their  elders  or  superiors 
take  up  a  game  with  them.  I  could  see  that  I  had 
not  hurt  my  reputation  by  my  display  of  strength. 
No  one  had  spoken,  and,  boylike,  I  drew  a  long 


Counted  Out  171 

breath  and  filled  my  lungs,  as  if  to  say,  "  Beat  it 
who  can."  Then  I  looked  about  the  ring,  like  a 
champion  at  a  fair.     My  uncle  gazed  at  me  proudly. 

"  I  will  take  the  wager  and  add  five  ducats  more," 
quoth  the  Captain,  very  quietly,  "  that  there  is  one 
here  who  can  exceed  it  by  a  foot." 

"  Done,  sir,"  says  Hixon,  who  had  just  had  a  try 
and  failed  most  wofully  in  his  approaching. 

Now  we  all  looked  about  us,  and  who  should 
stand  forth  but  the  Captain  himself?  We  were  all 
astonished,  never  dreaming  that  he  would  conde- 
scend to  child's  play ;  but  he  measured  the  distance 
with  his  eye,  and  then  picked  the  round  shot  out  of 
the  grass  with  his  fingers  as  one  might  a  hen*s  egg 
from  a  nest,  gingerly,  as  if  he  feared  to  break  it. 
Then,  clasping  it  with  both  hands,  the  way  the  game 
is  played,  he  gave  a  short  swing  betwixt  his  knees, 
and  hove  it  out.  Such  a  shout  as  went  up  !  the 
shot  cleared  the  bough  of  a  tree  overhead  and 
plumped  into  the  waters  of  the  bay  !  There  were 
strong  men  there  present  who  could  not  have 
equalled  it  in  two  heaves.  He  had  beaten  me  by 
three  yards  easy.  We  let  out  a  huzza  that  startled 
every  parrot  on  the  hillside  into  squawking  and 
squalling,  but  the  Captain  brushed  his  hands  to- 
gether, smiled,  and  walked  off  to  his  tent.  But  he 
was  well  pleased  with  himself  all  day,  refusing  to 
take  Ellis's  wager,  on  the  ground  that  he  discounte- 


172  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

nanced  gaming  and  that  he  had  failed  in  his  attempt, 
which  was  to  beat  me  by  a  foot,  whereas  he  had  ex- 
ceeded this,  through  misjudgment,  and  beaten  me 
by  nine.  I,  seeing  that  he  was  in  such  good  fetter, 
made  bold  to  ask  a  favor  of  him,  and  that  was  noth- 
ing less  than  to  take  me  with  him  on  the  next  expe- 
dition of  the  pinnaces.  But  he  would  promise  me 
nothing,  and  said  that  if  he  left  me  behind,  it  was 
for  a  reason.  Now  I  did  not  know  what  this  might 
mean,  and  when  three  days  later  he  started  off  again 
with  the  same  boats  as  before,  I  was  disconsolate, 
for  I  was  not  included  in  the  number  chosen  to  ac- 
company him.  Of  course  I  could  say  nothing,  but 
I  was  heart-broken,  and  sulked  for  a  day  like  a  bad- 
tempered  child.  I  did  not  learn  the  reason  for  this 
overlooking  of  me  until  later.  It  was  all  my  Uncle 
Alleyn*s  doing,  but  he  had  not  set  about  it  in  order 
to  thwart  or  to  annoy  me,  but  because  he  did  not 
wish  me  to  be  exposed  to  unnecessary  danger. 

My  poor  uncle  was  soul-vexed  at  this  time,  and 
somehow  imagined  himself  possessed  of  a  devil  (as  I 
afterward  learned).  He  had  dreams  in  which  he  had 
seen  himself  leaving  me  to  the  harsh  mercies  of  an 
overpowering  enemy,  and  again  of  hearing  that  I  was 
dead,  and  rejoicing  thereat.  Both  of  these  things 
would  have  been  contrary  to  his  nature,  but  being  a 
simple  soul,  he  thought  himself  tempted  of  Satan. 
This  goes  to  show  what  stuff  dreams  are  in  general, 


Counted  Out  173 

for  in  them  we  often  act  as  we  never  would  in  real  life 
—  God  be  praised  for  it !  I  take  small  stock  in 
visions,  anyway,  although  I  know  wiser  men  than  I 
who  do.  At  all  events  he  had  craved  as  a  boon 
from  the  Captain  that  I  should  be  left  behind.  But 
as  a  sop  to  my  feelings  I  had  been  appointed  second 
in  command  of  the  camp,  John  Drake  being  made 
Governor  of  Fort  Diego. 

I  gnawed  my  fingers,  however,  when  I  saw  the 
pinnaces  vanish  about  the  point,  my  uncle  having 
waved  his  hand  to  me  as  the  head  sails  caught  the 
wind. 

For  three  or  four  days  thereafter,  I  was  in  an 
exceeding  bad  humor,  and  John  Drake's  company 
was  not  of  the  kind  to  dispel  it.  He  was  a  good 
enough  sailor,  but  not  clever ;  a  slow-spoken,  even- 
tempered  man,  with  a  large  body  and  a  silly  smile. 
His  brother  could  wrap  him  about  his  finger; 
nevertheless,  he  had  the  Drake  courage  when 
aroused. 

And  now  comes  the  task  of  recounting  some 
doings  that  I  am  sorry  for,  at  least  for  the  part 
I  played  in  them. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

AGAINST    ORDERS 


E  were  sitting  in  front  of  our  tent  (five 

Wdays  or  such  a  matter  after  the  others 
bade  us  farewell),  and,  having  worked 
myself  out  of  my  distemper,  to  while 
the  time  away,  I  was  asking  Master 
Drake  some  questions  in  navigation,  and  he,  in  his 
heavy  manner,  was  trying  to  enlighten  me.  I  had 
already  learned  all  the  knots  and  splices,  and  might 
have  proved  a  competent  sailor-man  of  the  lowest 
class;  but  of  higher  seamanship  I  knew  little  or 
nothing. 

Teacher  and  pupil  were  becoming  interested  as  the 
hour  went  on,  and  pictures  of  myself  giving  orders 
from  the  quarterdeck  filled  me,  when  suddenly 
there  came  the  sound  of  some  one  coming  at  a  great 
pace  through  the  bushes,  and  a  man  burst  into  the 
open.  Seeing  us,  he  stopped  short,  and  then  ap- 
proaching, saluted  ;  but  he  was  so  out  of  breath  that, 
for  about  the  space  of  a  minute,  he  could  not  talk, 
and  stood  there  panting.     At  last  he  found  words, 

1 74 


Against  Orders  175 

and  they  were  to  say  that  while  he  was  in  the  crown 
of  cocoanut  palm,  he  looked  over  the  tops  of  the 
trees  and  had  seen  a  large  Spanish  frigate,  with  Uttle 
wind  carrying  her,  heading  south  about  four  miles 
offshore. 

"  Then  tell  all  hands  to  keep  out  of  sight,  close 
to  cover,  and  she  may  pass  by  us  unheeding  and 
unmolested,"  quoth  Master  Drake. 

The  man  made  as  if  to  say  something,  and  then 
held  his  peace.  It  was  evident  that  he  had  expected 
no  such  orders. 

"  You  speak  as  if  we  were  rabbits,  and  she  a  ger- 
falcon," said  I,  interrupting  him  when  I  had  no 
call  to  —  "  are  we  in  fear  of  her  ?  " 

John  Drake  paid  no  attention  to  me,  which  was 
right  of  him,  in  the  man's  presence,  but  bade  the 
sailor  forthwith  to  call  all  the  men  quietly  together 
at  the  fort,  and  not  to  show  themselves  at  the 
water's  edge.  The  fellow  looked  angry,  and  was  off, 
but  at  no  such  speed,  I  noticed,  as  he  had  used  in 
his  approach. 

"  Why  not  put  out  in  the  two  small  boats,  sir, 
and  take  her  ?  there  is  but  little  wind,"  I  suggested, 
mayhap  with  some  arrogance. 

The  Governor  turned,  and  I  saw  that  he  was  in 
a  fine  rage  and  containing  himself  with  effort. 

"  Happily  I  should  say  that  it  is  none  of  thy  af- 
fair," quoth  he.     "  But  allowing  for  thy  youth,  I 


176  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

make  answer :  it  is  my  brother's  orders  that  we 
leave  not  this  bay  in  any  craft  during  his  absence." 

Our  friendly  talk  was  broken  up  thus  suddenly, 
and,  on  the  plea  of  something  to  look  after,  the 
Governor  betook  himself  to  another  part  of  the 
fortification.  The  crew  were  beginning  to  gather 
at  the  gate  by  this  time,  and  they  stood  about,  talk- 
ing, evidently  taking  it  hard  that  they  were  not 
allowed  to  set  out  against  the  Spaniard.  Including 
John  Drake  and  myself,  the  garrison  numbered 
sixteen.  But  it  was  more  than  ample  for  the  pur- 
pose, as,  according  to  orders,  the  maroons  kept  to 
their  camp  some  leagues  back  in  the  country,  and 
we  kept  to  ours. 

The  next  day  at  sunrise  we  proceeded  on  foot  to 
the  first  landing  place  that  we  had  made  in  the  bay 
to  the  southwest  of  us,  in  order  to  bring  up  some 
of  the  supplies  and  the  shallop  we  had  left  con- 
cealed there.  It  was  a  hard  journey,  for  the  trees 
and  vines  grew  close  to  the  banks,  every  foot  im- 
peding us.  Were  it  not  for  the  rivers,  and  the  path 
the  maroons  keep  open,  the  interior  of  this  country, 
I  might  state,  would  be  well-nigh  impassable  to 
travellers. 

It  was  high  noon  when  we  arrived  at  the  clear- 
ing, —  it  having  taken  us  seven  hours  for  the  eight 
miles  !  After  we  had  eaten,  we  set  to  work  discov- 
ering the  shallop,  and  unearthing  the  needed  sup- 


Against  Orders  177 

plies.  It  was  late,  but  we  took  things  easy  to 
return  after  dark.  As  soon  as  we  had  placed  every- 
thing on  board,  we  hid  the  rest  again,  and  were 
about  to  shove  off,  when  one  of  the  men  (there  were 
nine  of  them  with  us)  pointed  out  to  the  open 
water,  and  there,  but  a  half  mile  off  shore,  drifting 
slowly  along,  her  great  mainsail  banging  and  clatter- 
ing against  the  mast,  was  a  large  frigate  deep  laden, 
—  probably  the  one  that  had  been  sighted  on  the 
yesterday.  It  was  John  Smith,  the  armorer,  who 
had  first  seen  her,  a  brave  fellow  and  a  leader  with 
the  others;  but  now  the  crew  were  all  quarreling 
among  themselves,  each  claiming  that  he  had  made 
the  discovery.  I  looked  at  John  Drake,  and  his 
brow  was  drawn  in  perplexity.  But,  after  thinking 
a  moment,  while  we  all  watched,  not  knowing  what 
was  coming,  he  ordered  the  men  out  of  the  shallop, 
and  told  them  to  draw  her  back  in  the  bushes. 
There  arose  outright  grumbles  at  this,  and  Robert 
Minicy,  a  boatswain's  mate,  came  up  to  me ;  he  was 
a  man  with  a  reputation  for  dare-deviltry  that  he 
took  every  occasion  to  sustain  (he  lost  his  life  a  few 
years  later,  because  he  would  not  run,  and  chose  to 
face  a  squadron  of  horse  single  handed),  —  as  I  say, 
this  man,  coming  up,  put  his  face  close  to  mine, 
and  spoke  hoarsely  :  — 

"  Take  us  out,  sir,"  he  begged ;  "  *tis  as  easy  as 
guessing  to  take  yon  vessel.     We  have  two  firelocks 


178  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

here ;  but  them  aside,  there  are  enough  of  us  to 
board  her  bare  fisted." 

I  savored  that  the  man's  breath  was  heavy  with 
liquor,  but  he  was  alert,  and  his  eye  clear ;  the  rest 
of  the  crew  were  likewise  all  eager,  and  more  than 
likely  for  the  same  reason.  Unknown  to  the  Gov- 
ernor or  myself,  while  searching  for  the  supplies 
they  had  tapped  a  half-barrel  of  wine  and  unearthed 
a  bottle  of  brandy.  But  I  did  not  notice  then  that 
the  drink  headed  them  at  all.  No  sooner  ashore 
than  one  of  the  men  began  to  load  the  heavier  mus- 
ket, making  a  great  to-do  over  it. 

John  Smith,  the  armorer,  had  taken  Minicy  to 
one  side,  and  they  were  chattering  like  two  gos- 
sips in  the  kiln-hole ;  anon  they  would  look  over  at 
me  and  then  at  John  Drake,  who  stood  with  his 
arms  folded,  leaning  against  a  tree.  His  gaze  was 
fixed  on  the  vessel,  that  was  plainly  to  be  seen 
through  the  leaves  of  the  trees.  The  rest  of  the 
men  had  their  eyes  glued  on  her  also,  and  were 
muttering  in  whispers.  All  at  once  Smith  gave  the 
boatswain  a  clap  on  the  shoulder  as  if  they  had 
decided  upon  a  plan,  and  Minicy  approached  me 
again.  He  pulled  his  leather  cap  off  his  tousled 
red  pash  and  saluted  respectfully. 

"  Will  you  speak  for  us  to  Captain  Drake,  sir," 
said  he.  "We  want  just  a  word,  and  we'll  bring  in 
that  ship  and  have  her  holystoned  and  rechristened  to 


Against  Orders  179 

his  worship's  taste,  ere  dark.  Good  sooth,  *tis  lur- 
ing to  see  her  hanging  there  like  a  maid  at  the  stile 
who  waits  for  a  whistle." 

"Speak  for  yourself,"  said  I.  "  Tm  one  with 
you." 

The  Governor  turned  his  head.  "What's  this 
I  hear  ? "  asked  he,  with  his  brows  lowered. 

Minicy  again  saluted,  but  I  saw  his  eyes  sparkle 
and  his  teeth  gleam  in  his  beard.  He  did  not  hesi- 
tate, but  came  to  the  point  boldly. 

"  The  men  would  like  to  take  the  Spaniard,  sir," 
he  said,  pointing ;  "  she's  ripe  for  us." 

Now  the  rest  of  the  crew  stepped  forward  and 
stood  about  most  eagerly;  the  mutterings  rose 
louder.  John  Drake  shot  a  look  around  him,  and 
his  speech  came  quick  this  time. 

"  Clamor  your  tongues  —  not  a  word  more  !  "  he 
growled.  "  I've  had  my  say  ;  keep  low  all  of  you, 
and  let  her  clear  the  point."  Minicy  was  silent, 
and  all  might  have  gone  well  had  not  Drake  added 
a  few  words  to  his  speech.  "  No  one  would  like  to 
set  foot  aboard  her  more  than  I,"  he  concluded, 
"  but  there  are  reasons."  With  that  he  cast  a  look 
at  me  as  if  desiring  my  help.     The  boatswain  saw  it. 

"  Master  Maunsell  will  lead  us,  sir,"  he  cried,  ere 
I  could  put  in  a  word. 

"  How's  this  !  "  answered  the  Governor,  whirling 
on  me.     "  How  durst  thou  speak  with  these  stretch- 


i8o  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

hemps  behind  my  back,  sirrah !  art  thou  of  the 
same  kidney  and  bold  for  the  same  reason  ?  "  He 
glowered  at  me,  but  my  blood  ran  hot  to  my  temples. 

"  Prithee,  hold  easy,"  quoth  I.  "  I  said  I  would 
go  with  them  ;  that  is  naught  but  truth.  What  lets 
us  from  doing  so  ?  " 

The  vision  of  making  a  prize  on  our  own  account 
and  thus  evening  up  matters  with  the  pinnaces 
tempted  me,  as  did  the  sight  of  the  Spaniard,  heav- 
ing lazily  up  and  down  on  the  long,  sweeping  seas 
and  but  a  mile  from  our  hiding  place.  As  John 
Drake  said  nothing,  I  went  on,  but  still  hotly :  — 

"The  reasons  you  spoke  of  held  to  the  other 
harbor,  and  not  to  this." 

"  Oh,  if  Captain  Francis  were  but  here,"  spoke 
one  of  the  men  (I  think  it  was  the  armorer). 

The  Governor  stroked  his  hairy  chin  with  both 
hands ;  he  was  wavering,  any  could  see. 

"We  can  take  her,"  I  cried.  "What  say  ye, 
lads  ? " 

I  believe  the  foolish  fellows  would  have  cheered 
(which  would  have  been  a  fine  thing  to  do  under 
the  order  of  things,  would  it  not?),  but  Captain 
John  raised  his  hand  and  turned  furiously  on  them. 

"Hold,  hold!  you  hot  heads ! "  he  cried;  "would 
you  betray  us  all,  and  spoil  our  chances  ? " 

"We  can  take  her,  God  bless  your  worship," 
said  Minicy,  in  a  thick  whisper,  as  if  clinching  the 


Against  Orders  i8i 

argument  by  repeating  my  words.  "  We  can  take 
her,"  echoed  the  crew,  crowding  yet  closer. 

Then  the  boatswain  (who  had  the  gift  of  apt 
speech)  parted  the  leaves  of  the  bushes  and  stretched 
out  his  hand.  The  frigate  was  about  to  weather 
the  point.  As  she  swayed  gently  from  side  to  side 
a  long  silken  streamer  on  her  mizzen  swung  out  with 
a  flutter  of  color  and  caught  the  rays  of  the  setting 
sun.  "  See  how  she  wafts  to  us,"  he  cried ;  "  she 
challenges  like  a  maid  at  a  kissing  game.  Aye ! 
Good  sooth,  she  would  wanton  with  us ;  she  is  ours 
for  the  catching.  Shall  we  let  such  a  prize  sUp  our 
fingers,  eh  ?  are  we  old  men  ?  is  our  blood  cold  ?  " 
He  stood  there  watching  and  his  lips  moving. 

Truly  it  did  appear  as  if  the  vessel  had  beckoned. 
Then  she  rounded  the  point,  and  the  trees  hid  her 
from  sight.  No  one  moved ;  all  eyes  were  on  Cap- 
tain John.  His  face  was  pale  and  his  gaze  was  on 
the  ground ;  he  stroked  his  beard  with  his  fingers  all 
aquiver. 

"He  did  say  the  other  harbor,"  quoth  he  half  to 
himself;  then  he  raised  his  head  and  saw  the  vessel 
was  gone. 

Now  'tis  a  curious  thing  in  human  nature  that 
while  a  thing  is  yet  in  our  sight  we  often  will  not 
move  to  possess  it,  nor  do  we  seem  to  value  our 
opportunity.  But  let  it  once  go  by,  and  then  (often 
too  late)  we  will  strive  to  regain  by  hard  work  what 


1 82  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

might  have  been  ours  for  the  reaching.  Perhaps 
our  imagining  addeth  to  temptation. 

"  Tumble  that  stuff  out  of  the  boat !  '*  roared 
John  Drake,  suddenly,  as  if  he  had  just  awakened 
from  sleep.  "  Out  with  it !  overboard  with  it !  fall 
to,  my  bullies !  How  now !  let's  see  who's  the 
ablest."  His  voice  had  a  sound  like  to  his  brother's. 
I  could  not  help  but  notice  it. 

The  men  fell  down  the  bank  and  attacked  the 
shallop  as  if  they  would  tear  her  to  pieces.  The 
Captain  turned  to  me. 

"  We  can  be  up  with  her  before  darkness  sets  in," 
he  said,  "  and  make  anchorage  here  for  the  night ; 
yea,  methinks  ere  the  tide  turns." 

Where  he  was  dallying  before,  he  was  all  eager 
now,  and  he  began  directing  the  crew  where  to 
place  the  clutter  that  they  were  heaving  out  like 
madmen,  grunting  and  cursing,  and  not  a  few  laugh- 
ing. Somehow  I  did  not  like  it ;  there  was  lacking 
the  determined  order  with  which  Captain  Francis 
would  have  done  it.  Every  man  was  working  for 
himself  and  making  a  holiday  game  of  tjie  matter ; 
it  took  some  stern  words  at  last  from  Captain 
John  to  stop  the  horse  play,  but  they  had  put  all  on 
shore  in  one-tenth  the  time  they  had  loaded  her, 
and  then  all  piling  in  at  once  they  weighted  her 
down  so  much  that  to  save  our  lives  we  could  not 
stir  her  nose  out  of  the  sand.     When  the  order  was 


Against  Orders  183 

given  to  lighten  her,  four  men  in  the  stern  jumped 
overboard,  and  as  the  water  was  deep,  of  course  they 
went  head  under,  and  one  (being  no  swimmer)  was 
like  to  be  drowned  ere  we  fished  him  out.  I  never 
saw  such  confusion  ;  if  it  were  not  such  serious  busi- 
ness, I  could  have  grown  sore  laughing. 

"  Steady  !  steady,  you  jolt-heads  !  "  cried  Captain 
John  ;  "  what  has  hold  of  you  ?  are  ye  all  bewitched ! 
Steady,  every  mother's  son ;  bear  a  good  hand 
now  !  "  And  then  he  ripped  out  the  first  oath  I  had 
ever  heard  fall  from  his  lips ;  for  at  last  they  man- 
aged to  push  us  off,  which  they  did  with  such  a 
vengeance  that  the  Captain,  who  was  standing  up, 
was  launched  backward  in  the  stern  sheets,  and  his 
long  sword,  catching  beneath  a  thwart,  the  blade 
was  broken  off  about  eight  inches  from  the  point. 
The  fellows  who  had  done  such  lusty  shoving  were 
all  in  a  heap  in  the  bow,  and  the  men  on  the  after- 
thwart  were  red  with  mirth,  and  only  kept  from  guf- 
fawing outright  by  the  sight  of  the  Captain's  angry 
face.  It  was  a  fine  way  to  start  off  to  do  any  fight- 
ing, and  a  fine  array  we  made  when  you  come  to 
think  of  it.  Counting  up,  we  had :  one  broken 
rapier,  two  firelocks,  and  a  dirk  (the  last  belonging 
to  me).  But  after  much  shoving  and  sifting  down, 
some  order  was  made  out  of  the  chaos,  and  the  oars 
were  shipped  in  a  very  ragged  fashion.  Then  we 
pulled  away  for  the  mouth  of  the  harbor. 


CHAPTER   XIX 

WE    PAY    THE    PIPER 

HE  shallop  was  a  fast-rowing  craft,  de- 
spite her  bluff  bows  and  her  heavy  load, 
and  in  ten  minutes  we  had  rounded  the 
point,  and  there  was  the  frigate,  less 
than  a  mile  away  down  the  coast,  almost  be- 
calmed. 

The  men,  when  they  saw  how  near  she  was,  began 
to  chuckle  and  wager  as  to  her  cargo,  but  I  sug- 
gested to  Captain  John  that  it  might  be  well  to 
prepare  some  plan  if  we  were  really  going  to  board 
her ;  and  he  agreed,  as  it  was  evident  from  a  slight 
commotion  on  her  decks  that  we  had  been  sighted. 
The  helm  had  been  put  down,  and  with  the  little 
way  she  carried,  her  head  pointed  out  to  sea.  John 
Drake  had  not  spoken  for  the  last  few  minutes,  and 
now  when  he  turned  to  answer  me,  I  saw  that  his 
face  wore  a  worried  look. 

"  Master  Maunsell,  don't  think  Tm  the  one  to 
blench  at  this  time,*'  said  he,  in  a  low  tone,  "  but 
by  my  troth,  I  like  it  not  as  we  have  begun  it. 
With  our  men  sober  and  well  armed  Td  fear  naught, 

184 


We  Pay  the  Piper  185 

—  but  now  —  "  And  he  bit  his  words  off  short,  as 
if  afraid  to  say  more. 

"  We  cannot  turn  back,"  I  rejoined. 

"  No,"  said  he ;  "  I  see  no  way  for  it  but  to  go 
ahead." 

We  were  speaking  in  whispers. 

"  How  will  we  arm  the  men  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  God  knows  —  thereVe  the  boat  stretchers  — 
I've  seen  them  used  before.  A  curse  on  me  for 
being  a  fool !  —  The  drunken  spawn  !  "  he  suddenly 
broke  out,  as  a  man  missed  his  stroke  and  went 
over  backward.  "  Steady  there,  and  mind  your 
work,  you  clumsy  tike  !  " 

I  looked  closely  at  the  men.  They  were  more 
serious  than  they  were  a  few  moments  since,  and 
those  at  the  oars  had  sweated  some  of  the  spirit  out 
of  them.  I  noticed  one  of  the  fusileers  in  the  bow 
ramming  down  a  charge  in  his  musket,  and  I  could 
almost  have  sworn  that  it  was  the  same  fellow  I  had 
seen  loading  his  piece  ashore;  but  there  was  no  time 
to  remark  upon  it,  for  the  Captain  began  to  address 
the  men  by  name,  telling  them  to  loosen  the  stretch- 
ers and  prepare  to  use  them  as  cudgels.  At  the 
same  time  he  told  them  that  he  was  going  to  board 
at  the  stern,  and  hurriedly  gave  out  their  stations. 

We  were  within  hailing  distance  of  the  Spaniards, 
and  I  looked  out  across  the  water.  The  man  at 
the  helm  was  calmly  gazing  back  at  us,  and  four  or 


1 86  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

five  heads  appeared  above  the  tafFrail.  Just  at  this 
instant  a  pufF  of  wind  struck  the  vesseFs  sails,  and 
she  moved  away  from  us.  One  of  the  lads  in  the 
bows  began  to  curse,  but  a  word  from  the  Captain 
silenced  him. 

"  Hail  them.  Master  Maunsell !  Hail  them,  sir  !  " 
cried  Captain  John.  "  Stand  up  and  bid  them  heave 
to  and  surrender !  By  the  great  Harry,  don't  let 
them  slip  us  !  *- 

I  rose  to  my  feet  in  obedience  —  one  thing  had 
struck  me  forcibly  :  the  men  on  board  the  frigate 
had  shown  no  signs  of  fright.  It  took  two  or  three 
swallows  before  I  found  my  voice.  I  feared  me  it 
had  gone  down  my  throat  to  stay,  till  at  last  I 
managed  to  shout  in  Spanish  (in  the  loudest  tones 
I  could  muster)  a  summons  to  heave  to  and  give 
over. 

There  was  no  reply.  The  man  at  the  helm  still 
looked  at  us  in  silence.  Captain  Drake  was  roused 
now ;  something  had  to  be  done,  and  that  quickly. 

"  Give  way  at  the  oars,  my  bullies  ! "  he  shouted, 
and  again  his  voice  sounded  like  his  brother's. 
"  Give  way,  and  we'll  have  at  them.  Now,  my  baw- 
cock  in  the  bow  there,  take  good  aim  with  the 
caliver  and  bowl  over  yon  scroyle  at  the  helm  — 
his  blood  be  on  his  own  head,  and  not  on  ours  ! " 

The  same  fellow  whom  I  saw  doing  the  loading 
laid  his  cheek  down  to  the  stock  and  fired,  and  as 


We  Pay  the  Piper  187 

he  did  so,  ere  the  smoke  had  hid  things,  I  gave  a 
cry  of  horror.  For  the  man's  head  went  off  his 
shoulders  like  an  earthen  pot  all  into  flinders  !  His 
piece  had  burst  in  the  breech ;  his  body  fell  back 
amid  the  rowers.  Whether  he  hit  the  Spaniard  I 
never  learned,  for  at  that  minute  so  many  things 
happened. 

A  single  port  in  the  frigate's  .stern  dropped  with 
a  vicious  clatter,  and  there  was  the  grinning  mouth 
of  a  demi-cannon  gorming  out  at  us.  But  the 
mouth  was  soon  hidden  by  a  burst  of  flame  and 
smoke ;  then  came  a  sudden  shock,  as  if  we  had 
struck  a  reef,  and  I  was  hurled  back  in  the  bottom 
of  the  shallop,  feeling  as  if  my  left  arm  had  been 
torn  from  its  socket !  But  my  senses  had  not  left 
me,  and,  with  a  struggle,  I  got  up  on  my  knees. 
As  long  as  I  live  I  shall  never  forget  that  sight ! 
Close  to  me  lay  the  Captain  grasping  a  dreadful 
wound  in  his  breast  that  showed  his  ribs,  another 
man,  dead  and  mangled,  lay  on  the  mid-thwart,  and 
three  others,  tossed  hither  and  thither,  were  groan- 
ing and  bloody ;  but  four  of  the  boat's  crew  had  es- 
caped that  fell  discharge.  It  was,  beyond  doubt,  a 
lucky  thing  for  us  that  the  breeze  had  now  fresh- 
ened, and  that  the  frigate  was  skipping  away  before  it ; 
for  a  score  of  calivers  were  let  go  at  us  as  we  lay  there 
helpless,  but  they  were  bad  shots  at  the  distance, 
their  balls  scattered  harmlessly  about  in  the  water. 


i88  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

Robert  Minicy  was  one  of  the  fortunates  who 
were  left  unscathed ;  standing  up  in  the  bows,  he 
began  shaking  his  fists  at  the  retreating  craft,  calling 
all  on  board  cowards,  and  daring  them  to  return  and 
fight.  Thank  God  they  did  not,  or  we  all  might 
have  met  a  worse  fate  than  had  already  befallen  us. 
The  vessel  was  full  of  Spanish  soldiers  ;  I  could  see 
the  glitter  of  casques  and  salets  !  They  had  lured 
us  handsomely  to  our  destruction. 

But  there  was  no  use  cursing  our  enemies,  or  be- 
moaning our  misfortunes ;  we  had  reaped  our  own 
sowing,  that  was  all  there  was  to  it.  I  called  the 
boatswain  to  order  (and  to  his  senses),  and  despite 
the  pain  in  my  left  arm  —  that  was  gashed  and 
maimed  with  a  splinter  from  the  boat's  gunwale  — 
we  all  began  to  do  what  we  could  for  the  wounded, 
and  strove  to  see  if  we  could  not  save  ourselves  into 
the  bargain,  for  the  shallop  was  riddled  like  a  sieve, 
and  was  leaking  badly.  But  I  could  stand  little 
exertion,  and  all  at  once  I  fell  back  weak  from  loss 
of  blood,  and  deathly  sick  all  through  me. 

After  Minicy  had  tied  up  my  arm  and  given  me 
a  pull  out  of  a  brandy  bottle  (that  had  been  part 
cause  of  all  the  trouble),  I  felt  better  and  managed 
to  sit  upright;  then  I  turned  and  bent  over  our 
wounded  leader  (poor  Captain  John !  it  needed  but 
half  an  eye  to  see  that  he  was  done  for).  I  called  his 
name ;  his  lips  moved,  and  at  last  he  spoke. 


We  Pay  the  Piper  189 

"  Wc  well  boggled  it,"  he  murmured  faintly. 
"  What  will  my  brother  say  ?  "  and  then  he  drew  a 
long  breath.  " 'Twas  all  my  foolishness,"  he  said, 
looking  up  at  me. 

"  No  —  I  say  it  was  my  fault,  sir,"  I  answered. 

"You  had  youth  for  excuse,  and  the  men  had 
rum,"  he  returned  weakly  —  "I  had  neither." 
Then  again  he  drew  his  breath,  this  time  not  so 
easily.  "  O  Lord,  my  strength  and  my  Re- 
deemer, forgive  my  sins,  and  receive  my  soul,"  he 
said  out  loud,  and  died  thus  bravely  like  a  Christian 
gentleman.  There  he  lay,  with  his  eyes  wide  open, 
staring  up  at  the  darkening  sky. 

I  remember  directing  Minicy  with  another  man 
to  get  out  the  oars  and  to  make  for  shore,  bidding 
the  rest,  who  were  able,  set  to  bailing.  With  that 
all  went  black,  and  for  the  second  time  I  fainted ; 
my  last  thought  was  :  "  There  is  naught  to  be  done 
—  this  is  death  and  the  end  of  it." 


CHAPTER  XX 


DARK    DAYS 


HE  sound  of  the  keel  grating  on  the  sand 
was  my  next  recollection,  and  a  babble 
of  voices.  A  torch  was  flaring  over  my 
head,  and  some  one  was  trying  to  lift  me. 
"  He*s  alive,"  cried  Robert  Minicy,  whose  face 
I  knew,  as  I  opened  my  eyes.  "  He's  alive,  but 
hurted  sore ;  lend  a  hand,  you  gaping  louts,  and  get 
him  out  of  this.  Yes,  weVe  been  time-passing  with 
the  Spaniards,  but  it's  no  place  to  tell  o't." 

We  were  off  Fort  Diego,  and  I  must  have  lain 
insensible  for  hours.  I  was  carried  into  the  tent, 
and,  weak  and  sick,  there  fell  asleep  at  last.   * 

The  events  of  the  five  succeeding  days  can  be 
told  in  a  few  words.  In  the  morning  we  buried  the 
bodies  of  the  Governor  and  the  three  others  (one 
poor  lad  having  died  of  his  wounds  during  the 
night),  and  to  add  to  my  distress,  I  found  myself  in 
command  of  the  fort,  with  a  pretty  tale  to  tell  Cap- 
tain Drake  upon  his  return.  The  only  person  we 
had  on  the  expedition  that  knew  aught  of  surgery 

190 


Dark  Days  191 

was  away  with  the  pinnaces,  and  our  wounded  men 
were  not  doing  well ;  my  arm  troubled  me  more 
than  a  little,  and  for  a  long  time  showed  no  sign  of 
healing.  The  men  began  to  grow  despondent  and 
sick  for  home ;  they  declared  among  themselves  that 
a  blight  was  on  us  and  that  we  would  never  see  old 
England  more.  As  best  I  could,  I  tried  to  keep  them 
busy,  but  sometimes  I  was  on  the  point  of  despair- 
ing, when  day  after  day  passed  and  there  was  no 
sign  of  the  Captain.  Another  man  died,  and  was 
buried  with  the  rest  —  the  gloom  settled  deeper 
upon  us. 

But  at  last  one  evening  the  welcome  sight  of 
the  missing  vessels  met  our  eyes,  rounding  the 
point  with  (as  usual)  two  prizes  following  in  their 
wake. 

But  there  were  no  cheers  to  welcome  them. 
Leaning  on  Minicy's  shoulder,  I  went  down  to  the 
shore  to  meet  them.  They  hailed  as  they  ap- 
proached, but  I  was  too  weak  to  shout  an  answer, 
and  held  silence  until  the  Captain  set  foot  on  land. 
They  had  seen  that  something  was  amiss,  and  I  was 
almost  bewraying  my  extreme  youth,  and  greeting 
them  with  a  flood  of  childish  tears. 

"  Where  is  my  brother  ?  "  asked  the  Captain, 
anxiously. 

"Dead,"  said  I.  "Alas,  sir,  dead!"  And  all 
atremble  I  told    the  story,  while  I  was   conscious 


192  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

that  they  were  standing  close,  and  that  my  Uncle 
Alleyn  had  slipped  his  arm  about  me  and  kept  me 
on  my  feet. 

"  And  he  went  out  and  led  you  on  such  a  ven- 
ture ?"  asked  the  Captain,  with  a  cold  set  face,  when 
I  had  paused. 

"  'Twas  little  fault  of  his,  sir,"  I  replied.  «  We 
would  have  it  so ;  I  urged  him  on." 

"  But  he  had  his  orders." 

The  Captain  turned  to  his  brother  Joseph  (who 
was  defeatured  with  grief)  and  the  other  officers : 
"  'Tis  a  lesson,  my  masters,  in  obedience,"  said 
he,  "and  showeth  the  penalty  of  rash  conduct. 
Hixon,  back  with  you  at  once,  and  bring  Ashmead 
here  to  me." 

Then  anxiously  he  asked  after  the  wounded,  as 
he  sent  off  the  small  boat  to  hurry  the  surgeon 
ashore  from  the  pinnace. 

Now,  it  might  seem  strange  to  hear  Francis 
Drake  decry  rashness  or  daring,  as  he  was  the  most 
venturesome  man  surely  that  ever  dandled  a  sword. 
But  then,  I  remember  that  he  was  always  sure  of  his 
own  mind,  and  never  went  off  half  primed  in  any- 
thing he  undertook.  My  uncle  related  that,  on 
this  last  excursion,  he  had  only  succeeded  in  quell- 
ing something  like  a  mutiny,  by  a  display  of  per- 
sonal recklessness  but  short  of  madness,  going 
ashore  alone  and  beating  about  with  his  rapier  on 


Dark  Days  193 

one  occasion  to  convince  the  rest  that  the  ambush 
they  feared  was  imaginary. 

It  seemed  cold  hearted,  the  way  that  he  had 
taken  the  dire  news  I  had  to  tell.  Nevertheless,  I 
must  set  down  something  that  proves  he  sorrowed 
deeply.  Early  the  next  morning  I  was  up  before 
most  of  the  camp  was  stirring ;  from  the  door  of 
my  tent  I  could  see  the  little  knoll  where  our  dead 
lay  in  their  new-made  graves — alas,  the  mounds  were 
soon  to  grow  in  number !  There  stood  the  Captain 
bareheaded.  Suddenly,  he  dropped  upon  his  knees, 
and,  turning  his  face  to  the  sky,  he  prayed  most 
fervently.  Then  he  walked  back  to  his  canopy, 
and,  as  he  passed,  I  saw  he  had  been  weeping.  But 
he  never  mentioned  his  brother's  name  thereafter; 
and  soon  we  had  so  much  to  think  of  close  to  us, 
that  our  sorry  adventure  was  forgotten  in  the  shadow 
of  the  great  and  impending  disaster  that  threatened 
our  existence. 

«X*  •{•  ^  mX*  «S*  •!*  «1*  »!• 

Thinking  it  all  over  now,  the  wonderful  thing  to 
me  is  that  we  ever  held  together  during  the  weeks 
that  followed,  and  I  make  claim  that  the  only  rea- 
son we  did  so  was  because  our  leader  had  the  God- 
given  grace  and  power  that  no  other  man  would  have 
in  like  occasion,  and  that  his  word  was  law,  and  the 
tone  of  his  voice  meant  hope.  Not  once  during  the 
darkest  hour  did  he  show  a  sign  of  faltering,  never 


194  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

did  the  firm  look  leave  his  face.  The  men  who 
lived,  lived  through  him,  the  men  who  dared,  did 
so  because  he  bade  them,  and  those  who  feared  held 
back  their  fears  and  stifled  their  groaning  that  he 
might  not  know  or  hear  them.  I  have  seen  more 
than  one  man  about  to  die,  brighten  and  gather  all 
his  wits  with  cheerfulness,  as  one  sure  of  his  just 
reward,  when  the  Captain  had  knelt  beside  him. 

But  this  is  forecasting.     What  means  it  ? 

Fever,  disease,  and  death,  hopeless  sickness  and 
endless  suffering ;  for  a  murrain  was  upon  us !  Up  to 
now  everything  had  failed,  despite  our  risks  and  our 
leader's  promises ;  we  had  made  no  treasure  (scarce 
ten  pounds  per  man),  we  had  burnt  our  best  ships 
and  thrown  our  prizes  to  the  winds,  and  now  the 
very  land  itself  turned  against  us,  and  out  of  the 
ground  rose  the  strangUng  enemy,  that  turns  a  strong 
man  into  a  saffron  skeleton  and  warns  him  with  the 
dread  vomit o  negro  that  his  end  is  close  upon  him. 

It  was  January  of  the  year  1573  (three  weeks 
after  the  return  of  the  pinnace)  that  the  plague 
broke  out,  and  it  came  so  suddenly  that  it  was  like 
unto  the  effects  of  a  draught  of  poison  taken  by  all 
hands.  Eight  men  died  within  three  days  after  the 
first  signs  of  illness,  and  before  the  week  was  out 
no  less  than  thirty-one  were  down  with  it,  among 
them  being  John  Smith,  Roger  Truman,  and  some 
of    our    best    seamen.       I    nursed    Roger   myself 


Dark  Days  195 

(thinking  of  what  I  owed  to  his  mother,  and  because 
he  was  a  likely  lad  who  had  stuff  in  him),  but  it 
looked  black  indeed ;  no  one  knew  who  would  be 
the  next  to  go.  It  was  prayers  to  God  in  the 
morning  that  we  might  be  spared,  and  prayers  that 
we  might  be  relieved  of  our  suffering  ere  nightfall, 
and  then  further  prayers  at  the  grave  side.  Joseph 
Drake  fell  ill  (I  can  see  him  now  as  he  lay  in  the 
Captain's  arms,  breathing  his  last) ;  and  when  he  had 
expired,  the  Captain  called  Ashmead,  the  surgeon, 
and  taking  him  to  one  side,  he  told  him  how  impor- 
tant it  was  that  something  should  be  found  out  in 
regard  to  the  seat  of  the  trouble  and  where  lay  the 
organs  most  affected.  (Francis  Drake  himself  was 
no  mean  leech,  I  can  tell  you,  and  had  some  knowl- 
edge of  anatomy.)  So  his  brother's  body  was  given 
over  to  the  knife,  and  what  they  found  I  wot  not, 
but  the  next  day  the  surgeon  died  and  we  buried 
him. 

At  this  time  the  Maroons  brought  to  us  the 
news  that  the  plate  fleet  (that  was  to  carry  the  treas- 
ure over  to  Spain)  had  arrived  at  Nombre  de  Dios. 
To  some  this  meant  little,  but  to  others,  much ;  as 
it  turned  their  thoughts  to  other  things  than  think- 
ing of  death,  and  without  doubt  gave  them  spirit  to 
throw  off  fear,  that  is  an  open  gate  to  mortal  sick- 
ness. The  Captain  sent  out  a  pinnace  to  see  if  the 
news  was  true,  and  it  appeared  as  if  the  plague  was 


196  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

spending  its  force.  In  three  days  the  expedition 
returned  with  a  captured  frigate,  taken  with  sup- 
plies on  its  way  to  the  Spanish  fleet,  and  on  board 
among  the  prisoners  was  an  oflicer  of  the  govern- 
ment from  Tolou,  and  a  woman  with  a  very  beauti- 
ful little  girl  nine  or  ten  years  of  age.  The  word 
of  the  Maroons  was  confirmed  about  the  arrival  of 
the  convoy,  or  at  least  part  of  them,  at  Nombre  de 
Dios. 

To  see  Captain  Drake  when  he  heard  all  this 
was  a  sight  to  make  one  marvel.  At  once  he  called 
a  council  of  the  officers  and  gentlemen  and  was  so 
sanguine  that  his  manner  was  e'enmost  gay.  But  I 
think  that  it  was  in  a  measure  assumed,  to  hearten 
the  rest  of  us. 

"  Our  voyage  is  well-nigh  made  now,"  said  he ; 
"  we  have  but  to  turn  soldiers  and  strike  across 
country,  capture  the  mule  trains,  and  make  good 
our  escape ;  then  we  are  rich  men,  every  mother's 
son  of  us." 

"  Rich  men  ! "  what  words  those  are  to  tempt  poor 
human  mortals  with.  I  could  see  our  adventurers 
prick  up  their  ears  and  hearken  to  the  same  .old 
song ;  even  my  Uncle  Alleyn,  whose  hopes  of  late 
had  been  at  the  lowest  ebb,  stopped  his  despairing 
talk  and  grew  once  more  to  take  faith. 

But  when  we  had  mustered  all  hands,  it  was  found 
that  there  were,  out  of  the  seventy-three  fine  fellows 


Dark  Days  197 

that  had  sailed  that  morning  from  Plymouth,  only 
twenty-four  capable  of  wielding  a  sword,  and  but 
eighteen  strong  enough  to  undertake  the  venture 
of  going  so  many  leagues  inland  with  any  chance  of 
keeping  afoot.  The  rest  were  yet  ill,  ailing,  weak, 
or  dead.  There  were  twenty-eight  graves  now  on 
the  hillock ! 

My  being  so  let  down  from  my  wound  mayhap 
kept  the  fever  from  laying  hold  of  me  (I  noticed 
that  it  took  the  strongest  first  and  spared  the  very 
ones  who  seemed  ripe  for  it).  Roger  Truman  was 
recovering ;  John  Smith,  the  armorer,  was  very  ill, 
as  were  Master  Ceely  and  Fletcher,  but  all  three 
recovered.  Minicy,  who  boasted  that  there  "  never 
was  a  fever  that  could  touch  his  blood,"  escaped 
the  penalty  for  his  big  talk,  but  many  a  strong, 
brave-spirited  man  died  miserably,  raving  of  Eng- 
land and  home,  prating  of  some  woman,  or  shout- 
ing defiance  of  some  enemy. 

But  enough  of  this  sad  recital.  I  have  endeav- 
ored to  shorten  it  in  the  telling,  but  even  now  I 
cannot  think  of  those  days  without  a  shudder. 

W  w  w  'Vt'  W  w  w  w 

On  Shrove  Tuesday,  February  the  third,  our 
allies,  the  Maroons,  came  to  the  fort  under  leader- 
ship of  their  chief,  a  straight-haired,  black  man 
named  Pedro.  With  him  were  thirty  picked  war- 
riors, almost  naked,  armed  with  spears,  and  bows 


198  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

and  arrows.  They  appeared  to  be  honest,  cleanly- 
folk,  much  better  than  mere  savages ;  and  this  they 
proved  in  every  way,  being  easily  subject  to  disci- 
pline, willing  to  assume  tasks  without  a  murmur, 
and  the  finest  woodcraftsmen  I  have  ever  seen. 

In  the  afternoon  Captain  Drake,  with  his  eighteen 
followers,  bade  farewell  to  us,  and  under  the  guid- 
ance of  Pedro  and  his  forces  started  to  the  west- 
ward through  the  forest.  Ellis  Hixon  was  left  in 
charge  of  the  camp  with  its  garrison  of  twenty-seven, 
of  whom  twenty-one  were  too  ill  to  be  of  much 
account.  Besides,  it  took  some  of  the  able-bodied 
to  guard  the  prisoners  who  were  gathered  together 
in  the  hulk  of  the  frigate  that  we  had  dismantled, 
and  I  was  placed  there  to  look  after  them,  with 
four  men  to  help  me ;  but  there  was  hardly  need 
for  so  many,  as  the  Spanish  common  sailors,  if  you 
treat  them  kindly  and  feed  them  well,  prove  the 
most  docile  captives  in  the  world. 

I  would  that  I  could  record  of  my  own  knowl- 
edge the  adventures  of  the  inland  expedition,  but  I 
did  not  grieve  so  sorely  this  time  at  being  left 
behind,  for  I  was  yet  scarcely  able  to  use  my  arm, 
and  subject  to  fits  of  dizziness,  especially  after  exer- 
tion in  the  heat  of  the  sun.  My  uncle  had  bade 
me  farewell  in  a  troubled  state  of  mind.  If  he  could, 
he  would  have  stayed  with  us,  —  on  my  account,  I 
am  sure,  —  for  he  deemed  me  a  sicker   man  than 


Dark  Days  199 

really  I  was.  His  nature  was  much  like  a  woman's  ; 
he  had  all  a  woman's  softness  and  depth  of  devo- 
tion, and  the  affection  that  had  grown  up  between 
us  was  heartfelt  and  unfeigned.  He  was  father  and 
brother  and  mother  to  me.  I  had  vowed  that, 
no  matter  what  happened,  we  would  never  be 
parted  if  I  could  help  it. 

Days  went  by,  and  there  came  no  news.  Every 
morning  we  hoped  to  see  our  men  appear  on  the 
trail  from  the  west,  joyous  and  successful,  laden 
with  gold  and  silver.  But  nothing  happened ;  the 
great  forest  might  have  swallowed  them. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

THE  LADY  WITH  THE  PEARLS 


HE  Tolou  official,  who  was  our  unwilling 
guest,  proved  to  be  a  Captain  Don  Lopez 
I  de  Serrano,  an  officer  of  the  army,  and  at 

first  I  had  thought  that  the  lady  who  had 
been  on  board  the  frigate,  and  thus  unfortunately 
had  found  herself  a  prisoner,  was  his  wife,  and  the 
little  girl  his  daughter.  I  had  given  over  the  cabin 
to  their  use,  and  bunked  in  the  little  round-house 
on  the  deck  forward  of  the  main  mast ;  the  crew, 
during  the  daytime,  had  the  run  of  the  forward  part 
of  the  vessel,  and  the  lady  and  gentleman  had  the 
after  decks  to  themselves.  I,  not  wishing  to  intrude 
upon  them,  held  aloof  entirely.  For  many  days 
the  lady,  who  was  tall  and  strikingly  handsome, 
had  been  in  deep  grief,  and  I  could  not  but  respect 
the  attitude  of  Don  Lopez,  who  was,  to  all  appear- 
ances, courteous  and  kindly,  and  who  did  every- 
thing in  his  power,  apparently,  to  comfort  and  sus- 
tain her. 

I  cared  mighty  little  for  my  own  position  and 


»00 


The  Lady  with  the  Pearls  201 

pitied  them  both  heartily,  and  this  was  one  reason 
why  I  had  no  communication  with  them. 

One  evening,  when  the  air  was  growing  cooler,  I 
sat  upon  the  steps  leading  to  the  after  galleries  of 
the  frigate,  thinking,  it  must  be  confessed,  deeply 
about  myself,  wondering,  as  I  often  did,  what  was 
going  to  become  of  me.  Would  my  uncle  be  able 
to  make  good  his  word,  and  would  I  be  rich  when  I 
returned  to  England  ?  What  would  I  do  with  my 
riches,  and,  forsooth,  would  I  be  happy  if  I  got 
them  ?  It  was  all  a  riddle  that  was  beyond  my 
solving.  I  was  in  the  hands  of  God,  and  He  had 
watched  over  me  thus  far  as  if  He  had,  in  His 
wisdom,  destined  me  for  some  purpose.  From  the 
present  I  went  back  into  the  past.  In  my  mind's 
eye  I  could  see  an  old  walled  garden  in  Spain,  and 
a  poor  little  lonely  lad  who  used  to  listen  to  the 
tales  of  the  old  sailor  sitting  by  the  fountain  in  the 
garden  ;  how  he  had  longed  for  freedom  and  adven- 
ture. I  could  scarce  believe  that  I  was  the  same 
person.  I  thought  of  Selwyn  Powys  and  drew  a 
long  breath.  I  frowned  as  I  thought  of  my  aunt 
and  Martha  Warrell  (who,  I  judged,  had  played  me 
false),  and  then  I  remembered  my  mother ;  and  I 
could  see  her  again  as  she  lay  on  the  great  bed, 
still  and  white  amid  the  crimson  and  gold. 

Suddenly  I  caught  the  sound  of  voices  close  by, 
speaking  in  Spanish.     Looking  up,  I  saw  that  Don 


202  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

Lopez  and  the  lady  were  leaning  against  the  rail  of 
the  deck  above,  with  their  backs  to  me.  Thus  evi- 
dently they  had  not  observed  my  presence. 

"  No,  Donna  Maria  '*  (I  started  as  I  heard  the 
name),  "there  is  naught  to  be  gained  by  disclosing 
your  identity,  and  no  chance  of  being  ransomed," 
the  Don  was  saying.  "  These  English  are  ill-bred 
swine,  but  they  consider  themselves  above  brigands, 
tho'  by  the  saints  there  is  no  difference.  They  will 
give  us  our  liberty  when  they  see  fit  and  no  sooner. 
I  know  this  Captain  Drake,  and  would  rejoice  to 
see  him  swing,  but  his  men  are  above  bribing." 

"  But  this  lank,  callow  youth  who  appears  to  be 
in  command  of  the  guard,"  responded  the  lady; 
"  think*st  not  that  his  eyes  would  open  at  sight  of 
a  single  pearl  the  size  of  a  malaga  grape ;  ay,  and  the 
promise  of  another  like  it  should  he  set  us  on  shore 
within  two  leagues  of  Nombre  de  Dios  ?  Sooth  !  I 
have  with  me  enough  to  buy  each  man  who  guards 
us  a  ship  of  his  own,  and  the  tall  youth  a  castle  into 
the  bargain." 

"  Hush,  I  pray  you  !  "  put  in  the  officer.  "  Did 
they  know  what  they  had  overlooked,  the  fact  of 
your  being  a  woman  would  not  protect  you  an  in- 
stant. We  had  best  take  heed  that  we  arouse  not 
suspicion.  Do  you  carry  the  jewels  with  you  ?  "  he 
asked. 

"  No,"  was  the  response ;  "  at  least,  but  a  few  of 


The  Lady  with  the  Pearls  203 

them ;  the  English  submitted  me  to  no  indignity, 
though  they  searched  my  cabin." 

"  I  wish  that  I  had  given  you  the  locket  that  they 
took  from  me,  then,"  responded  the  officer.  "  'Twas 
blessed  by  the  Pope,  and  had  a  fine  topaz  in  the 
framing." 

"  But  think  ye  not  if  these  men  knew  that  they 
held  the  wife  and  daughter  of  the  Governor  as  pris- 
oners, that  they  would  speedily  try  to  obtain  ransom 
for  their  deliverance  ?  " 

"  I  think  that  they  would  consider  the  risks  too 
great,  Donna  Maria.  We  had  assured  ourselves 
that  they  had  abandoned  the  coasts,  and  here  they 
are,  hiding  within  scenting  distance  of  us,  waiting  for 
the  mule  trains  to  deliver  to  the  plate  ships.  That's 
the  game,  I  will  swear  to  't." 

"  I  have  half  a  mind  to  try  the  tall  young  officer 
with  the  light  hair,"  said  the  lady. 

"  Donna  Maria,  I  warn  you,"  cried  the  Spaniard; 
"  he  is  a  thief  like  the  rest  of  them.  Where  have 
you  the  treasure  ?  " 

"  In  a  safe  place.  It  might  be  well  to  try  a  few 
blandishments  on  the  young  man ;  a  smile  or  two 
—  a  glance,  eh  ?  " 

"  More  precious  than  pearls,  my  lady ;  why  waste 
them  on  a  junk-head  ?  " 

He  leaned  close  and  whispered  something  to  his 
companion  ;  she  drew  back. 


204  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

"  Sir,  your  gallant  speech  is  too  warm ;  I  like  it 
not,  nor  your  humor  —  presume  no  more,  sir." 

Her  tones  were  angry,  and  I  could  see  that  she  was 
affronted;  but  the  Don  was  in  no  measure  put  out. 

"You  give  me  less  credit  than  I  deserve,"  he 
laughed.  "  *Twas  but  my  admiration  speaking. 
Hush!  hold!" 

He  had  suddenly  stopped  himself,  and  I  felt  that 
he  was  pointing  down  at  me,  although  I  could  not 
see  him.  Some  whispering  followed,  and  then  Don 
Lopez's  voice  spoke  menacingly  in  Spanish. 

"  Hark  ye,  on  the  steps  below.  I  hold  a  knife 
over  your  head,  and  am  going  to  drop  it ;  mark,  on 
the  count  '  three,'  —  one,  two  —  " 

I  never  moved  a  muscle,  but  sat  as  I  had  done 
before,  leaning  back  on  my  elbows,  and  gazing  out 
over  the  rail. 

"  He  did  not  understand  us,"  spoke  up  the 
woman ;  "  he  speaks  no  Spanish.  Oh,  I  pray 
you  —  " 

"  This  heavy  block  would  crack  his  pate,"  inter- 
rupted the  man.  "  We  could  swear  'twas  acci- 
dent. " 

"  No,  no,  I  beseech  you  !  He  took  no  notice  of 
us.  He  is  a  kind-looking  lad,  if  stupid.  Set  down 
the  block,  Don  Lopez.  Here  comes  my  little 
daughter.  Set  it  down,  or  I  will  point  the  finger! 
Yea,  by  Our  Lady  !  that  I  will,  if  you  dare." 


The  Lady  with  the  Pearls  205 

They  spoke  in  breathing  whispers.  It  took  some 
control  to  act  as  if  nothing  was  happening  that  con- 
cerned me,  but  I  had  myself  in  hand,  and  then, 
suddenly  giving  a  sneeze,  I  shifted  my  position, 
and,  rising,  walked  forward,  stretching  my  arms 
over  my  head  as  if  to  shake  off  the  stiffness.  I 
did  not  turn  until  I  reached  the  gangway,  and  then, 
first  glancing  aloft,  I  let  my  eye  travel  back  to  the 
quarterdeck.  There  was  Don  Lopez  replacing  a 
great  iron  block  (that  would  have  crushed  my  head 
like  an  egg)  on  the  fiferail. 

"  I  will  keep  my  eye  on  you,  my  bucko,"  said  I 
to  myself,  as  I  climbed  the  break  of  the  forecastle. 

So  they  were  not  husband  and  wife,  and  she  was 
the  Governor's  lady,  and  there  was  much  treasure 
on  board  undiscovered.  Somehow,  thinking  it  o*er, 
I  was  glad  that  the  rest  of  the  crew  did  not  know 
what  I  did. 

The  fair  Spaniard  and  her  little  daughter  had 
walked  aft,  leaving  Don  Lopez  leaning  with  folded 
arms  against  the  mast ;  before  he  moved  he  looked 
furtively  about  him,  and,  seeing  that  I  was  watch- 
ing, he  hurried  down  the  ladder  out  of  sight. 

Late  in  the  evening  it  came  on  to  blow ;  the  wind 
howled  through  the  dismantled  rigging  Hke  a  great 
warlock,  and  the  hulk  tossed  uneasily  from  side  to 
side.     Thinking  that  we    might  be    dragging   our 


2o6  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

anchor,  I  crept  out  of  my  bunk,  and  went  on 
deck. 

I  could  see  the  black  masses  of  the  tree-tops 
swaying  against  the  star-lit  sky,  and  the  sound  of 
their  moaning,  mingled  with  the  lapping  of  the 
water  against  the  vessel's  side,  and  the  waves  on 
the  shore,  was  like  to  the  rush  of  a  mighty  river. 
The  lone  man  on  guard  at  the  gangway  was  fast 
asleep,  but  as  all  the  prisoners  were  safe  under 
hatches,  I  did  not  think  it  meet  to  waken  him,  and 
let  him  rest.  What  the  Spanish  lady  had  said  of 
her  keen  desire  to  get  away  from  this  place  to  her 
own  people  came  to  my  mind.  I  wished  from  my 
heart  that  it  was  in  my  power  to  help  her.  But 
what  could  I  do  ?  I  was  quite  as  much  of  a  pris- 
oner as  she  was.  If  Captain  Drake  did  not  return, 
none  of  us  might  ever  see  freedom.  Ellis  Hixon 
and  I  had  held  talk  that  day,  and  he  was  low  in  his 
mind  over  our  affairs.  The  men,  who  were  re- 
covering from  their  illness,  were  grumbling  and 
bemoaning  their  fate.  Surely,  to  be  saved  from 
death  only  to  be  taken  prisoners  in  our  turn  by 
the  Spanish  would  be  a  hard  lot.  I  shuddered 
as  I  recalled  my  uncle's  tale  of  the  burnings  and 
lashes. 

There  was  a  faint  light  glowing  from  the  tran- 
som in  the  quarterdeck,  showing  that  some  one 
was  still  awake  in   the  cabin.     As   I  noticed  this 


The  Lady  with  the  Pearls  207 

I  saw  a  figure  come  with  great  stealth  up  the  after 
ladder. 

Now,  the  cabin  of  the  frigate  was  divided  into 
two  apartments,  separated  by  a  heavy  bulkhead  in 
which  there  was  a  sliding  door ;  the  ladder  led  down 
into  the  forward  one,  and  the  other  took  up  the 
whole  of  the  after  part  of  the  ship.  It  was  in  the 
larger  that  the  lady  and  her  little  daughter  were  then 
quartered  ;  Don  Lopez  occupying  the  other  at  the 
foot  of  the  ladder,  as  I  afterward  found  out. 

Keeping  well  hid  behind  the  corner  of  the  round- 
house, I  watched  the  skulking  figure.  It  was  a 
man,  I  made  out,  crawling  stealthily  on  his  hands 
and  knees ;  he  looked  down  into  fhe  waist,  most 
cautious  like,  and,  seeing  that  the  sentry  slept,  away 
he  went  on  all  fours  until  he  was  over  the  transom 
from  which  came  the  light.  I  perceived  him  tip 
himself  on  his  elbows  and  gaze  down,  watching  in- 
tently. At  first  I  was  sorely  tempted  to  hail  him, 
and  ask  him  what  he  was  after ;  it  seemed  to  be,  at 
least,  a  small  spying  business  —  this  playing  Peep- 
ing Tom ;  but,  thinking  that  it  were  better  to  catch 
him  red  handed  ere  he  had  a  chance  to  hide,  I 
walked  quietly  toward  the  ladder.  Just  then  the 
light  below  went  out,  and  it  was  all  pitch  dark ;  but 
I  had  reached  the  coaming  of  the  hatch,  and,  know- 
ing my  way,  I  approached  the  spot  where  the  figure 
had  been  lying ;  I  leaned  down  to  lay  hold  of  the 


2o8  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

fellow  with  one  hand,  at  the  same  time  drawing  my 
dagger  with  the  other.  But  my  fingers  closed  on 
air;  and  yet  I  could  have  made  oath  that  I  would 
have  grasped  him  by  the  throat !  Hurriedly  I 
felt  about  in  all  directions,  and  then,  following  the 
bulwarks  closely  with  my  foot,  I  searched  every 
portion  of  the  deck.  It  was  deserted ;  I  was  all 
alone ! 

It  was  passing  strange,  and  my  heart  began  beat- 
ing wildly.  Men  fear  most  what  they  least  under- 
stand, and  I  stood  on  guard  as  if  I  might  expect  a 
blow  from  the  unseen  at  any  moment.  Then  gath- 
ering my  wits  I  went  down  to  the  waist  and  woke 
the  sentry.  He  was  all  scandalized  at  being  thus 
caught  napping,  but  I  stopped  his  excuses  and  told 
him  to  follow  and  help  me  in  the  search.  As  we 
went  up  the  ladder  I  thought  I  saw  a  figure  cross 
the  deck  again  in  stooping  posture,  and  I  was  sure  I 
heard  some  hasty  steps.  But  the  man  declared  he 
saw  and  heard  nothing. 

"  Lord  protect  us  !  **  he  said.  "  Ghosts  !  your 
honor,  ghosts,  and  no  less ;  they  say  the  hill  ashore 
yonder  is  full  o*  them,  and  then  why  not  the  ships  ? 
Oh,  'tis  bad  omen  !  Til  see  my  old  father  in  Plym- 
outh never  more.     We're  sure  acurst." 

I  said  nothing  then,  but  hurried  down  to  the 
cabin  held  by  Don  Lopez ;  putting  in  my  head  I 
could  hear  him  snoring  as  were  he  one  of  the  seven ; 


The  Lady  with  the  Pearls  209 

coming  up  again,  the  man  met  me,  and  recom- 
menced his  whimpering. 

"  Close  your  head,  you  geek,"  said  I,  "  and  back 
to  your  post  with  you,  and  mark !  no  more 
sleeping,  or  you'll  taste  the  rope  ere  morning ! 
—  'Twas  the  Spanish  officer." 

With  that  I  went  into  the  round-house  and  sat 
down  to  think.  It  is  no  pleasant  thing  to  have  a 
ghost  for  a  neighbor  on  land,  but  'tis  much  worse 
on  shipboard,  and  I  knew  that  if  the  sentry  told  his 
tale,  the  men  would  be  for  leaving,  and  would  be 
malingering  to  be  set  on  shore.  I  could  not  go  to 
sleep,  try  my  best,  and  after  tossing  for  an  hour  I  got 
up  and  crawled  out  to  the  air.  The  man  on  guard 
must  have  been  very  bad  o'  sight,  for  I  passed  him 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  deck  and  went  up  the 
starboard  ladder  to  the  quarterdeck  and  crawled 
again  to  the  hatchway.  It  was  my  intention  to  list 
if  Don  Lopez  was  still  snoring,  but,  as  I  thrust  my 
face  o'er  the  coaming,  I  drew  back  quickly,  for  I 
had  almost  come  in  collision  with  another  !  and  there 
we  lay  staring  into  each  other's  eyes  at  but  hand's- 
breadth  distance.  It  was  the  Spaniard !  and  I 
almost  upset  my  kettle  on  the  spot,  by  addressing 
him  in  his  own  tongue  and  asking  what  he  was  up 
to.     But  he  spoke  first. 

"  Morrow,"  said  he. 

"  Good-morrow,"  said  I 


2IO  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

"  No  sleep,"  he  grunted,  "  hot  —  hot,"  and  he 
began  fanning  himself  with  the  luff  of  a  big  silk 
kerchief  he  held  in  his  hand.  He  had  reached  the 
end  of  his  tether  in  English,  and  there  we  sat,  I  at 
the  top  of  the  ladder,  and  he  a  few  steps  below 
me.  It  was  e*enmost  embarrassing.  But  one 
thing  —  I  had  laid  my  ghost  handsomely,  and  I 
began  to  smile.  The  Don  stopped  his  flutter  of 
the  kerchief  (for  he  must  have  perceived  that  the 
air  was  cool),  and  glancing  in  my  face  he  said 
"  Morrow  "  again  and  went  down  to  his  cabin.  I 
arose  and  began  to  wonder  in  what  manner  he  had 
first  concealed  himself;  he  had  been  very  foxy, 
to  say  the  least. 

Suddenly  I  heard  a  noise  from  the  lower  deck, 
and  looking  down,  I  saw  the  sentry  on  his  knees 
babbhng  in  prayer ;  the  poor  carl  had  seen  me  for 
the  first  time  and  had  taken  me  for  the  ghost. 
Going  to  him,  I  stayed  his  fears  and,  relieving  him 
of  his  halberd,  I  sent  him  below,  resolving  to  stand 
guard  myself  till  morning.  Then,  I  reasoned,  I 
would  tell  Hixon  what  had  occurred  and  place 
the  Spaniard  in  close  confinement,  for  I  doubt  not  he 
was  up  to  some  mischief.  I  felt  that  the  lady  and 
her  daughter  were  now  doubly  entitled  to  my  pro- 
tection, and  my  pity  grew  for  them. 

The  child  was  most  beautiful  to  look  at,  with  her 
great  black  eyes  so  like  her  mother's,  and  her  mass 


The  Lady  with  the  Pearls  211 

of  raven  hair  that  hung  down  to  her  waist ;  and  then 
the  lady  had  saved  my  life,  or  had  done  her  best  to, 
and  I  forgave  her  calling  me  "lank  and  callow," 
although  it  rankled  a  bit ;  I  dare  say  I  was  both. 

Day  dawned  at  last,  and  when  the  relief  appeared, 
I  surrendered  my  post  and  speedily  sought  sleep.    • 


CHAPTER   XXII 

A    VENTURE    AND    ADVENTURE 

WAS  awakened  the  next  morning  by  the 
sound  of  voices  and  the  smell  of  cooking 
from  the  galley.  It  was  evident  I  had 
overslept,  and  should  be  on  deck.  So  I 
hastened   into    my  clothes. 

"  He's  here  again,  sir,"  said  one  of  the  sailors,  as 
I  stepped  out  into  the  bright  sunshine.  "  He's  here 
again,  and  all  agrin  for  his  breakfast." 

At  first  I  did  not  get  the  meaning  of  his  speech, 
and  was  about  to  ask,  when  the  man  pointed  out 
over  the  bows  at  the  still,  clear  water.  Following 
the  direction,  I  could  see  the  dark  green  length  of  a 
huge  shark  lying  motionless  almost  in  the  same 
spot  where  he  had  been  discovered  a  week  before. 
Every  morning  and  evening  he  had  put  in  his  visit, 
waiting  for  the  slop  from  the  galley  or  hoping,  per- 
haps, that  some  luckless  wight  would  take  a  ven- 
turesome swim.  The  sailors  had  tried  to  catch  him, 
with  ill  success,  he  was  ware  of  tricks,  and  when 
near  the  vessel  kept  at  such  distance  below  the  sur- 
face that  no  arrow  could  reach  him.  *   But  the  water 


A   Venture    and   Adventure  213 

was  so  transparent  on  still  days,  that  his  little  wicked 
eyes  could  be  seen,  as  he  cocked  them  up  at  us. 
The  men  had  named  him  Beelzebub,  and  truly  he 
looked  to  be  a  retainer  of  the  Evil  One,  sent  to 
keep  our  track.  But  I  had  other  things  to  think 
of  than  sharks  or  devils ;  a  plan  had  been  forming 
in  my  mind,  that,  if  possible,  I  meant  to  carry  out 
that  very  day. 

I  had  called  away  the  jolly-boat,  intending  to  row 
ashore  to  the  fort  and  consult  with  Hixon,  whose 
advice  I  needed,  and  whilst  the  men  were  fetching 
alongside,  I  stood  in  the  gangway,  watching  a  brilliant 
butterfly  that  was  flickering  in  and  out  of  the  slack- 
ened rigging ;  at  last,  it  settled  on  one  of  the  rat- 
lines over  head,  shining  like  a  great  opal.  Looking 
up  at  it  from  the  quarter-deck  was  the  Spanish  offi- 
cer. As  I  noticed  him,  he  slipped  his  glance,  and 
gazed  thoughtfully  out  to  sea.  Our  strange  en- 
counter of  the  night  came  to  my  mind.  I  disUked 
the  man  the  more  I  saw  of  him,  and  he  had  reason 
to  dislike  me.  Doubtless  he  must  have  known  I 
had  watched  him. 

Just  then  Donna  Maria  came  running  up  from 
below,  and  a  look  at  her  face  was  enough  to  show 
that  something  was  amiss.  She  was  exceeding  pale, 
and  her  hands,  all  a  tremble,  were  clasped  over  her 
heart.  As  soon  as  she  saw  Don  Lopez  she  came 
to  him  hurriedly  and  grasped  him  by  the  arm. 


214  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

"  They  are  gone  !  the  pearls  have  been  stolen  !  " 
she  cried,  in  tones  that  could  be  heard  over  the 
ship.  "  The  thieves  !  the  villains !  they  have  stolen 
them ! " 

The  officer,  turning  quickly,  tried  to  calm  her  with 
some  words  I  could  not  catch,  and  whilst  talking  led 
her  away  out  of  earshot.  But  from  the  lady's  ges- 
tures and  the  way  she  looked  down  at  me,  I  could 
see  that  I  had  been  referred  to  in  his  speech.  Twice 
he  restrained  her  when  she  would  have  left  him  and 
stepped  forward  (I  feel  sure  would  have  spoken, 
and  I  stood  waiting  her  address),  but  Don  Lopez 
was  whispering  earnestly  in  her  ear,  and  before  long 
she  appeared  to  be  under  the  influence  of  his  words, 
for  she  leaned  her  head  on  her  clasped  hands,  and 
burst  into  tears. 

So  the  lady  had  been  robbed !  The  meaning  of 
the  night's  adventure  flashed  clear  upon  me.  But 
I  did  not  wish  Don  Lopez  to  suspect,  as  yet. 

The  men  were  ready  in  the  small  boat  by  this 
time,  and  I  was  about  to  descend  the  ladder  when 
something  else  on  the  quarter-deck  caught  my  atten- 
tion. The  little  girl  had  appeared  from  below,  and 
there  she  stood  at  the  hatchway,  shading  her  eyes 
from  the  glare  of  the  sunlight.  A  pretty  picture  she 
made,  and  I  began  to  think  of  the  anguish  of  the 
parent  who  was  waiting  for  her  at  Nombre  de  Dios, 
not  knowing  what  had  become  of  his  loved  ones ; 


A    Venture   and    Adventure  215 

for  the  frigate  by  this  time  must  have  been  long 
overdue. 

The  brilliant  butterfly  had  left  its  resting-place  in 
the  rigging  and  was  fluttering  about  the  child's  head  ; 
she  grasped  for  it  with  both  her  hands,  and  the 
insect  as  if  enjoying  this  game  of  play,  skimmed 
across  the  deck  and  lit  on  the  halliards  of  the  flag- 
staff at  the  stern,  where  it  kept  folding  and  spreading 
its  gaudy  wings,  as  if  tempting  the  little  one  to  reach 
for  it  again.  The  child  followed  to  the  taflfrail, 
leaning  far  out  with  a  cry  of  pleasure  at  seeing  the 
chase  so  near. 

How  it  happened  I  cannot  tell,  but  the  first  thing 
I  know,  with  a  wild  clutch  at  the  swaying  ropes,  over 
she  went,  and  I  heard  a  plash  in  the  water. 

Before  the  others  could  have  known  the  meaning 
of  the  sudden  scream  she  gave,  in  two  jumps  I  was 
on  the  quarter-deck  and  in  an  instant  more  I  hove 
myself  out,  head  foremost  over  the  stern.  I  saw  the 
little  figure  in  the  white  dress  struggling  on  the  sur- 
face, but  there  was  something  else  to  think  on — the 
great  shark !  It  had  flashed  through  my  mind,  even 
in  my  flight  through  the  air,  that  I  must  be  quick. 
When  I  came  up  I  grasped  the  little  girl ;  in  a  few 
strokes  I  was  under  the  vesseFs  quarter.  A  row  of 
faces  lined  the  bulwarks,  —  prisoners  and  guards, — 
and  on  the  high  poop  Don  Lopez  was  supporting  the 
swooning  figure  of  Donna  Maria. 


2i6  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

"Heave  me  a  rope!"  I  cried;  "make  haste  there! 
—  don't  stand  agape  —  make  haste  !  " 

One  of  the  men  I  could  see  gathering  up  a  tangle 
of  loose  running  gear  and  making  ready  to  send  it 
out  —  again  I  called  for  him  to  hurry.  There  was 
a  slight  current,  and  burdened  with  the  struggling 
child  I  could  just  stem  it  and  no  more. 

A  cry  arose ;  a  mingling  shout  in  Spanish  and 
English,  but  full  of  words  of  horror  and  warning 
that  I  understood  too  plainly.  Turning  my  head, 
I  saw  but  a  half-cable's  length  away,  the  black  lateen- 
shaped  fin ! 

There  was  a  plash,  and  the  rope  fell  almost  about 
my  shoulders.  Taking  a  firm  hold,  I  gave  it  a  turn 
about  my  waist,  singing  out  for  them  to  heave  away, 
and  they  began  to  draw  me  in  —  we  were  up  to  the 
frigate's  side  again.  I  feared  to  look  round,  and 
using  all  my  strength  I  lifted  the  little  girl  clear  of 
the  water.  It  seemed  as  if  my  arm  would  be  torn 
loose  from  my  body  as  the  strain  came  upon  it, 
and  I  knew  my  old  wound  had  opened ;  but  hope 
rose  in  my  heart.  A  sailor  had  jumped  down  into 
the  chains,  and  his  hand  was  almost  touching  the 
little  girl  —  in  another  instant  she  would  be  safe. 
Suddenly  the  man's  face  turned  gray  with  horror. 

"  God's  love !  look  to  your  legs  ! "  he  cried. 
I  looked  down  just  in  time  to  see  the  shark's  white 
belly  flash  as  he  turned  to  take  me  in  !     The  great 


A   Venture   and   Adventure  217 

jaws,  with  their  rows  of  pointed  teeth,  were  wide 
apart,  and  he  was  coming  upward  with  a  rush  that 
would  carry  him  free  of  the  surface.  I  thought  my 
time  had  come,  but  in  a  wild  effort  to  get  clear  I 
kicked  out  with  both  feet  and  threw  myself  with  all 
my  force  away  from  the  vessel's  side.  So  great  was 
the  swiftness  with  which  the  monster  had  attacked, 
that  he  leaped  full  a  third  his  length  into  the  air,  and 
so  narrowly  had  he  missed  me  that  I  rasped  against 
his  great,  ugly  body  in  its  descent;  the  blow  threw 
my  hold  from  the  rope,  and  I  fell  with  the  little 
girl  back  into  the  waves.  But  to  my  joy  I  saw  the 
jolly-boat  rounding  the  frigate's  stern. 

A  wild  scream  had  mingled  with  the  hoarse  shouts 
of  the  crew,  who  now  appeared  to  be  in  greater  con- 
fusion than  before,  and  directly  above  us  I  saw  the 
Spanish  mother  stretching  out  her  arms.  Don  Lopez 
was  restraining  her,  or  she  would  have  jumped  and 
joined  us.  As  I  had  released  the  rope,  the  end  of  it 
had  been  drawn  inboard,  and  there  I  was  helpless  and 
so  exhausted  I  could  not  frame  a  word ;  and  then  my 
marrow  chilled  with  fright,  as  I  heard  again  the  cry 
of  warning,  and  knew  that  the  shark  was  coming  up 
once  more.  The  little  girl  had  began  to  cry  and 
had  clasped  her  arms  about  my  neck.  Suddenly,  as 
I  looked  down  watching  for  the  next  attack,  I  felt  a 
tug  at  the  back  of  my  leather  doublet.  A  man  who 
had  kept  a  cooler  head  than  the  rest  had  leaned  out 


2x8  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

over  the  frigate's  rail  and  had  hooked  onto  me  with 
the  beak  of  a  halberd  —  it  was  Thomas  Moone  the 
carpenter.  But  just  as  he  began  to  lift  I  saw  the 
white  flash  beneath  me,  and  knew  he  was  too  late  — 
the  boat  was  four  or  five  strokes  distant  and  powerless 
to  aid  me  !  Men  think  and  act  quickly  in  dire  need. 
With  a  quick  pull  I  snatched  the  halberd  from  the 
carpenter's  hands,  and  with  the  same  motion  drove 
the  great  blade  downward  at  the  yawning  open  jaws. 
It  must  have  turned  him,  though  it  did  not  stop  his 
onslaught,  for  he  struck  me  with  such  force  that  I 
thought  my  side  was  stove  and  all  my  ribs  crushed ; 
the  water  swirled  about  me,  but  at  that  instant  some- 
body laid  hold  of  me,  and  I  was  drawn  over  the  bow 
into  the  jolly-boat.  I  had  not  lost  my  senses  and 
held  fast  to  my  precious  burden — so  we  both  were 
safe !  In  the  water  near  us  floated  the  shaft  of  the 
halberd,  bitten  clean  through  some  three  feet  above 
the  iron. 

"  Marry  !  but  you  have  done  for  him,  sir  !  "  said 
one  of  the  sailors,  bending  over  me.  "  Look*ee 
there,  sir,  yarnder." 

I  feebly  raised  my  head.  '  Beelzebub,'  the  shark, 
was  floundering  in  a  mass  of  bloody  spray  and  foam 
scarcely  two  oars'  length  away.  The  men  on  the 
frigate  —  Spaniards  and  English,  prisoners  and 
guards  —  were  cheering.  I  looked  at  the  figure  of 
the  little  girl  beside  me  and  saw  that  she  had  lost 


A   Venture    and    Adventure  219 

consciousness  and  needed  help.  We  were  at  the 
chains,  and  with  the  aid  of  extended  hands  we  were 
hauled  on  board,  and  with  the  child  in  my  arms 
I  stumbled  up  the  ladder  to  where  the  trembling 
Donna  Maria  stood.  She  called  down  the  blessing 
of  the  saints  upon  my  head,  she  half  knelt  as  she 
thanked  me,  and  would  have  kissed  my  hand  had  I 
allowed  it.  Don  Lopez  held  aloof,  and  followed  by 
the  mother,  half  weeping,  half  laughing,  still  telling 
her  thanks  and  praises  in  Spanish,  I  carried  my 
burden  down  to  the  cabin  —  where  I  called  for 
brandy.  But  before  it  was  brought  the  little  one 
opened  her  eyes,  gazed  about  her,  and  stretched  out 
her  arms  to  her  mother.  Donna  Maria  clasped  her 
all  wet  and  soaking  to  her  bosom. 

"Thank  the  good  senor,"  she  said.  "Thank 
him,  my  precious  one  ;  tell  him  you  will  pray  to  our 
good  Lady  to  bless  and  reward  him."  She  covered 
the  child's  face  with  kisses.  Then  she  turned  to 
me  again. 

"  I  pray  you  keep  the  pearls,"  she  said.  "  Would 
that  I  had  given  them  —  and  would  that  I  had  more 
to  give !  " 

And  then  it  came  to  her  that  I  understood  no 
word  of  what  she  had  been  saying,  and  with  eager 
gestures  she  tried  to  make  clear  her  meaning.  But  I 
understoodand  knew  more  thanshe  did,  and  my  anger 
rose,  for  I  saw  that  Don  Lopez  had  accused  me  of 


220  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

the  theft  to  cover  his  own  evil  doing.  I  was  about 
to  tell  her,  when  hearing  a  footstep  close  by,  I 
turned,  and  there  was  the  Don  himself  standing 
back  of  me.  As  I  looked  at  him,  his  swart  visage 
flushed,  and  he  turned  his  eyes. 

"  Donna  Maria,  I  will  reward  the  young  man," 
he  said,  "  should  he  ask  for  it,  which  is  likely. 
Had  he  not  best  leave  you  ?  " 

I  fain  would  have  sprung  upon  him  and  choked 
his  words  in  his  lying  throat,  but  with  great  effort 
I  restrained  myself,  owing  to  the  lady's  presence  and 
the  desire  to  save  more  turmoil.  The  men  had 
not  followed  us  into  the  cabin,  and  we  were  alone ; 
otherwise  I  would  have  called  them  to  lay  hold  of 
him  and  take  him  out  to  search  him  on  the  spot, 
for  I  did  not  doubt  that  he  had  the  pearls  on 
his  person  at  that  moment.  I  stepped  between 
him  and  the  door,  as  my  feelings  got  the  upper 
hold. 

"Donna  Maria,"  said  I  in  Spanish,  "  I  regret  to 
inform  you  that  yonder  stands  a  villain  and  a  thief. 
Hold,  sir,  I  warn  you  !  He  has  told  you  that  I  have 
taken  your  treasure,  and  I  say  that  he  has  it  now, 
and  that  he  has  robbed  you.  He  who  should  be 
your  protector  has  played  you  false  ! " 

The  surprise  of  both  at  hearing  me  thus  address 
them  was  so  great  that  neither  spoke.  The  lady 
looked  from  me  to  the  Don  and  back  again.    The 


A   Venture   and    Adventure  221 

officer  had  turned  pale  this  time,  and  his  hand  still 
to  his  side  as  if  reaching  for  a  weapon. 

"  The  knave  lies  !  "  he  blurted. 

"  An'  you  say  that  again  and  I  will  string  you  for 
the  vultures,"  I  returned.  "  Here  ;  what  is  concealed 
in  your  doublet  ?     Ah  !   you  rogue  of  rogues  !  " 

With  that  I  reached  out  and  caught  the  end  of 
the  silk  kerchief  that  I  had  seen  him  toying  with 
the  evening  before ;  with  a  sudden  twitch  I  drew  it 
forth,  ere  he  could  stop  me,  and  a  shower  of  great 
pearls  scattered  about  the  deck. 

With  a  cry  of  rage  the  Spaniard  sprang  upon 
me.  My  wounded  arm  was  well-nigh  useless ;  I 
was  weak  from  the  long  struggle  in  the  water,  and 
being  unprepared,  he  bore  me  down,  one  hand  on 
my  throat,  so  I  could  not  cry  for  succor,  and  the 
other  fumbling  behind  him.  I  saw  the  gleam  of 
the  small  poignard  as  he  raised  it,  and  then  Donna 
Maria,  with  a  shrill  scream,  caught  his  uplifted  arm  : 
and  this  was  the  second  time  that  she  had  saved  my 
life;  for  though  the  blow  descended,  it  had  been 
turned  and  the  force  diminished.  Hasty  steps 
sounded  on  the  ladder,  and  two  of  my  men  ran  in. 
One  was  Thomas  Moone,  the  other  the  sentry  of 
the  night  before. 

It  was  the  work  of  but  an  instant  to  throw  my 
antagonist  from  off  me,  and  Moone  disarmed  him 
with  a  blow  of  his  fist.     I  struggled  to  my  feet. 


222  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

"  Take  that  man  forward  and  put  the  gyves  on 
him,"  I  ordered,  hoping  that  the  men  would  not 
notice  the  wealth  scattered  about  their  feet.  But 
Moone  had  seen  the  gleaming  pearls.  I  noticed  his 
eyes  grow  large.  But  the  other  man,  whose  sight 
was  not  so  sharp,  saw  nothing. 

And  now  I  was  in  a  situation  that  I  did  not  in  the 
least  enjoy.  In  the  first  place,  I  felt  my  mind  was 
reeling  and  a  deathly  sickness  was  growing  upon 
me.  There  was  a  sharp  pain  through  my  shoulder, 
and  a  warm  trickle  down  my  chest  warned  me  that 
I  was  wounded.  Calling  all  my  spirit,  I  kept  my- 
self from  falling  and  leaned  against  a  stanchion  for 
support.  Donna  Maria  was  regarding  me  with 
staring,  frightened  eyes.  I  could  think  of  naught 
to  say. 

"  Oh,  good  young  sir,  you  are  wounded,"  she 
whispered,  her  voice  faint  with  terror.  "What 
shall  I  do  ?  what  shall  I  do  ?  Saint  Joseph  intercede 
and  aid  me !  "  and  then  her  tone  changed.  "  Oh, 
the  traitor !  the  wicked  villian  !  "  she  cried,  "  to 
think  that  one  could  be  so  villanous  !  I  beg  for- 
giveness from  you,  sir ;  but  what  must  I  do  ?  Here, 
I  pray  you,  sit  you  down  and  let  me  see  to  your 
hurt — I  am  used  to  wounds." 

She  placed  the  little  girl  in  the  bunk  beside  her, 
and  taking  me  by  the  arm  she  pushed  me  to  a  great 
oak  chair  and  would  have  opened  my  doublet,  but 


A   Venture   and   Adventure  223 

I  caught  sight  of  the  scattered  pearls,  and  my 
thoughts  returned. 

"  No,  madam,"  I  said  weakly,  "  I  shall  be  right 
well  looked  after ;  I  pray  you  first  pick  up  your 
jewels." 

"  Nay  ;  what  are  they  against  a  life  ? " 

"  But  they  must  not  be  seen  ;  hasten  ;  here  some 
one  comes."  A  step  sounded  on  the  ladder,  and 
I  heard  Thomas  Moone's  voice  saying, — 

"  And  how  fares  it  with  Master  Maunsell  ?  No  ; 
all  of  ye  keep  out ;  I  can  attend  to  him.  Bide  ye 
here.  I  will  fetch  him  out."  With  that  he  entered 
and  bent  over  me. 

"  Master  Moone,"  said  I.  "I  wish  thee  to  mark 
my  words.  This  lady  — "  But  what  the  rest  of  my 
speech  was  to  be,  the  carpenter  never  learned ;  for 
my  tongue  clove  to  my  teeth  and  refused  to  move, 
and  I  fell  forward  with  my  faint,  and  would  have 
pitched  headlong  to  the  deck  had  not  Thomas 
caught  me  in  his  arms  and  carried  me  into  the 
forward  cabin,  that  had  been  occupied  by  the  Span- 
iard. The  carpenter  placed  me  on  a  couch,  and 
examining  my  wound,  said  it  was  not  dangerous  — 
though  deep.  "  A  sore  hurt,  but  not  mortal  —  and  I 
have  sent  ashore  for  Master  Hixon,"  he  concluded. 

I  think  the  loss  of  blood  must  have  carried  me 
off  my  head,  for  the  next  thing  that  was  plain  was 
Ellis  Hixon's  voice. 


224  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

"  How  now,  young  friend  ?  I  hear  that  thou  hast 
been  indulging  thy  taste  for  adventure,"  he  said,  as 
I  looked  up.  "  But  you  are  in  good  hands,"  he 
added.     "  This  lady  is  a  marvel  at  bandaging." 

Then  I  saw  that  Donna  Maria  was  standing  at 
the  foot  of  the  couch. 

"  How  fares  the  little  senorita  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Donna  Inez  will  soon  be  thanking  you,"  she 
returned  ;  "she  is  well  — but  you  must  not  talk." 

"  Madam,  will  you  leave  us  ?  "  I  interposed  some- 
what abruptly.  "  I  must  talk  to  this  gentleman  and 
am  forced  to  disobey  you." 

She  flushed,  and  then  without  a  word  went  into 
the  after-cabin  and  closed  the  sliding  door. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

IN    COMMAND    OF    A    CARTEL 


HIXON  made  a  sweeping  bow  as  the  lady 
left  us,  then  he  turned. 
"  Now  say  on,"  quoth  he.     "  *Tis  of 

this  fair  Spaniard  that  you  wish  to  speak, 

I  warrant." 

"Yes,  none  less.  And  I  pray  you  listen  till  I 
have  made  an  end  of  it." 

"  Twang  your  string.  Master  Maunsell,  and  then 
hearken  to  me  in  turn,  for  though  God  forfend  it, 
things  are  at  a  dule  ebb  with  us." 

So  I  told  him  of  my  plan.  The  lady  was  none  less 
than  the  wife  of  the  Governor  of  Nombre  de  Dios, 
and  the  little  girl  his  daughter.  We  were  not  making 
war  upon  women,  nor  were  we  brigands  to  exact 
ransom.  I  proposed  that  we  send  out  a  small  boat 
with  a  picked  crew,  and  place  our  captives  and  their 
personal  belongings  within  such  distance  of  their 
home  that  they  might  reach  it  in  safety  alone  on 
foot,  trusting  to  their  gratitude  not  to  betray  our 
hiding-place,  or,  if  the  Spaniards  attempted  to  find 
us,  relying  upon  the  care  we  had  taken  in  choosing 


226  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

our  seclusion.  I  recalled  the  courteous  message  of 
the  Governor,  and  urged  that  this  would  be  a  right 
gallant  return  for  it.  But  I  said  nothing  about  the 
pearls,  thinking  they  were  safe  in  Donna  Maria's 
possession. 

Ellis  Hixon  listened  as  he  had  promised,  and 
remained  for  some  time  deep  in  thought. 

"  Master  Maunsell,"  said  he  at  last,  "  methinks 
there  is  reason  in  thy  speech ;  for,  gallantry  to  one 
side,  'twould  be  good  policy.  Three  weeks  have 
nearly  flown  since  the  departure  of  the  Captain  and 
his  company.  If  all  went  well,  we  were  to  hear  from 
him  within  the  fortnight.  No  word  have  we  had 
from  the  Maroons,  who  have  moved  their  camps  I 
know  not  whither,  and  if  they  have  proved  treach- 
erous —  God  knows  what  has  become  of  our  com- 
panions. There  is  not  a  man  Jack  of  us  left  that 
knows  aught  of  the  science  of  navigation.  Our 
prisoners  outnumber  us,  and  supplies  are  dwin- 
dling. 'Twould  be  folly  to  put  to  sea,  for  where 
would  we  fetch  to  ?  If  our  Captain  returns  not, 
there  are  two  alternatives :  one,  to  turn  savages 
and  hide  in  the  forests  till  rescued,  or  to  become 
prisoners  to  the  Spanish,  which  means  slavery  or 
worse.  Now  it  might  go  easier  with  us,  by  my 
troth,  if  we  had  a  friend  at  court  —  in  latter  case. 
What  is  your  opinion  in  the  matter  ?  " 

"  You  are  our  leader  now,"  I  murmured. 


In   Command   of  a   Cartel  227 

"  I  have  command  on  shore,  but  you  are  in  control 
of  the  prisoners." 

I  saw  that  he  wished  to  shift  the  responsibility 
upon  my  shoulders,  and  I  was  willing  to  take  it. 

"  May  I  have  three  men  from  the  fort  to  follow 
me  in  a  certain  enterprise  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Yea,  readily,  and  I  will  supply  extra  guards  for 
the  frigate  during  your  absence." 

"  Then  I  choose  Robert  Minicy,  Roger  Truman, 
and  Smith  the  armorer,  they  are  well  of  their 
sickness." 

"  You  have  picked  the  best.  Master  Maunsell." 

"  They  must  be  the  best  for  my  purpose,  Master 
Hixon." 

And  thus  was  the  matter  concluded,  and  the  next 
day  the  men  were  sent  me. 

I  was  so  much  recovered  that  I  was  able  to  be  on 
my  feet  again,  and  sending  a  messenger  to  the  cabin, 
requested  the  honor  of  an  interview  with  Donna 
Maria.  Soon  I  knocked  on  her  door,  and  she  re- 
ceived me  graciously. 

"  Madam,"  said  I,  "  I  know  how  this  captivity 
has  been  preying  upon  your  mind,  and  believe  me 
when  I  say  that  it  has  been  a  distress  to  me  that 
we  have  had  to  detain  you.  But  if  you  will  trust 
yourself  to  me,  I  will  do  my  best  to  land  you  and 
your  daughter  at  Nombre  de  Dios,  or  at  least  at 
such  near  distance  that  you  can  reach  your  home 


(228  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

safely.  This  I  promise  to  do  upon  the  honor  of  a 
gentleman  of  England." 

"  You  have  been  most  courteous  and  brave,  sir," 
she  returned,  "and  I  know  the  truth  of  an  English- 
man is  like  unto  a  vow  made  at  the  Holy  shrine  — 
so  I  do  trust  myself  and  what  is  dearest  to  me  into 
your  keeping,  and  may  the  blessed  saints  reward  you, 
more  than  I  can  —  for  well  do  I  know  that  such  ser- 
vice as  you  tender  cannot  be  priced  or  boughten." 

The  little  girl  had  been  looking  up  in  my  face  as 
her  mother  spoke,  and  suddenly  she  stepped  forward 
at  a  whisper  from  Donna  Maria  and  extended  her 
hand.  Though  she  was  but  a  child,  she  did  this  with 
such  grace  and  lack  of  shyness,  that  I  was  the  one 
embarrassed,  and  bending  down  I  kissed  her  little 
fingers  as  if  she  had  been  a  lady  of  the  land. 

"  Oh,  sir,"  went  on  Donna  Maria.  "  I  never  will 
forget  what  you  have  done  for  us ;  your  speech  is 
like  that  of  my  countrymen.  You  have  been  in 
our  beautiful  country  ?  " 

"  My  mother  was  a  Spanish  lady,  madam,  but  my 
father  English  —  I  have  lived  in  Spain." 

"  My  husband's  cousin  married  an  Englishman," 
said  Donna  Maria ;  "  his  name  I  have  forgotten,  but 
hers  was  the  same  as  mine,  and  the  same  as  my 
husband's  —  de  Valdez." 

"De  Valdez!"  cried  I. 

"  But  you  knew  it  ? "  she  replied,  somewhat  puzzled 


o 
a, 


In    Command   of  a   Cartel  229 

by  my  exclamation.  "You  knew  who  it  was  you 
were  befriending  ? " 

"You  are  the  wife  of  the  Governor,  I  know, 
madam,  but  his  name  I  had  not  been  told.  'Tis 
one  I  have  often  heard  in  Spain." 

When  I  left  the  cabin  I  was  wrapped  in  my 
thoughts.  I  knew  enough  of  my  mother's  family 
to  feel  sure  that,  wonderful  as  it  may  seem,  the 
governor  whose  treasure  house  we  had  come  so  near 
sacking  was  my  own  blood  relation  !  and  that  the 
little  girl  whom  I  had  saved  from  the  shark  was 
none  less  than  my  cousin.  And  this  I  had  found 
out  without  betraying  myself —  for  what  would  have 
been  the  use  ?  None,  surely.  But  again  I  mar- 
velled at  the  smallness  of  the  world  and  wondered 
what  was  to  come  of  it  all. 

Thomas  Moone  met  me  at  the  after-gangway.  I 
had  chosen  him  to  be  the  fourth  one  of  the  crew 
that  was  to  start  with  me  on  the  venturesome  ex- 
pedition to  the  gates  of  the  Spanish  stronghold. 
We  were  to  leave  the  following  morning  before  day- 
light. 

"  Master  Maunsell,"  said  Moone,  touching  his 
cap,  "  the  lady  in  the  cabin  told  me  this  belonged 
to  you,  and  bade  me  deliver  it  safe  in  your  hands  as 
soon  as  you  were  up  and  about." 

I  took  the  pouch  he  offered,  and  thrust  it  in  my 
doublet,  knowing  by  the  very  feel  of  it  what  it  con- 


130  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

tained.  But  Thomas  Moone  might  have  been 
handing  me  a  bag  of  beechnuts  so  far  as  one  could 
tell  from  the  expression  of  his  face. 

We  had  been  three  days  and  nights  sailing  to  the 
southward  down  the  coast  —  keeping  so  close  that 
at  any  minute  we  might  have  sought  shelter  in  one 
of  the  numerous  harbors  or  inlets  ;  but  as  good 
fortune  had  it  we  saw  no  sail. 

Donna  Maria  and  the  little  girl  occupied  a  small 
tent  or  canopy  in  the  stern,  that  we  had  made  out 
of  sailcloth,  and  they  were  as  comfortable  as  our 
limited  quarters  could  make  them.  The  shallop 
sailed  well,  (it  was  not  the  same  in  which  we  had 
met  disaster,)  and  I  knew  that  we  were  nearing  the 
headland  that  guarded  the  entrance  to  Nombre  de 
Dios.  It  was  our  plan  to  reach  there  at  night,  and 
landing  our  passengers,  retrace  our  course  as  speed- 
ily as  might  be. 

What  the  Captain  would  say  of  the  whole  affair, 
I  did  not  care  to  think,  but  I  determined  not  to  let 
Hixon  get  the  blame,  and  to  take  it  on  myself. 

Moone,  who  had  been  at  the  tiller,  having  the 
trick  following  mine,  spoke  to  me  as  we  bowled 
along  before  the  northeast  wind. 

"  Methinks,  Master  Maunsell,"  said  he,  gazing 
over  his  shoulder,  "  that  there  is  a  blow  coming  eft- 
soon,  and  as  to  the  best  of  my  reckoning,  we  are  but 


In    Command   of  a   Cartel  231 

ten  leagues  from  the  harbor,  'tis  best  to  put  in  some- 
where and  make  fast  till  nightfall.  Mind  yon  clouds, 
sir ;  there's  wind  in  them  or  I  miss  my  hazard." 

I  looked  out  to  seaward  and  saw  the  great  masses 
of  vapor  standing  up  against  the  sea-line.  White 
and  feathery  they  were  on  top,  dark  and  cavernous 
below.  Higher  and  higher  they  mounted;  lifting 
and  changing  into  hills  and  valleys,  building  into 
mountains,  and  castles,  and  turrets,  and  as  the  sun 
was  setting,  the  edges  tinged  with  pink  and  red  and 
the  purple  shadows  deepened  and  lengthened.  It  was 
as  if  we  were  watching  the  Creator  at  work  on  another 
and  more  beautiful  world. 

Donna  Maria,  with  whom  I  had  been  talking 
before  silence  had  fallen  on  us  all,  spoke  at  last. 

"  Senor,"  she  said,  "  I've  seen  such  sights  before ; 
and  though  beautiful,  it  warns  us  to  seek  shelter.  — 
Mark,  sir,  the  wind  goes  down,  and  that  is  sign 
enough." 

Even  as  she  spoke  the  breeze  had  died  away,  and 
the  sails  slatted  uselessly  from  one  side  to  the  other. 
To  the  west  of  us  about  a  mile  away  was  the  wooded 
coast,  to  our  eyes  unbroken,  —  and  in  the  stillness 
we  could  hear  the  thundering  of  the  surf  as  it  broke  on 
some  outlying  reefs.     The  air  was  full  of  portent. 

Moone,  who  was  a  good  sailor,  looked  at  me  and 
shook  his  head. 

"  Best  get  to  oars,"  he  said;  "go  in  and  search 


232  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

for  a  harbor ;  there  may  be  an  inlet  where  you  see 
yon  dark  opening  in  the  forest." 

So  we  took  in  the  sails,  and  getting  out  the  heavy 
sweeps,  turned  in  towards  shore.  We  kept  well  to 
the  north  of  the  surf,  where  the  waves  crested  white 
and  angry,  and  running  in  on  the  tops  of  the  surges 
we  made  good  speed.  At  first  it  looked  as  if  we 
were  all  in  for  a  wetting,  if  not  a  capsize,  for  the  sea 
was  dashing  with  great  force  against  the  narrow  beach. 
But  it  was  as  Moone  had  said ;  there  was  a  narrow 
opening  much  like  the  one  where  we  had  first  built 
our  fort,  and  inside  a  goodly  sized  harbor. 

But  imagine  our  surprise  when  we  had  once  en- 
tered, to  see  a  large  vessel  with  three  masts,  close 
to  shore  at  the  farther  end  !  I  was  for  turning  about 
and  putting  to  sea  despite  the  threatening  weather, 
but  Robert  Minicy,  whose  eyes  were  sharp  as  a 
hawk's,  called  out  that  there  was  something  strange 
about  the  way  the  craft  was  lying. 

"  She's  abandoned  or  a  wrack,"  he  said,  pointing. 
"  Mark  ye  her  shrouds  and  her  sails  in  tatters." 

As  we  came  closer,  we  saw  that  he  spoke  true. 
The  ship  lay  stranded  and  high,  close  against  the 
bank.  Her  topmasts  were  gone,  and  as  if  to  add 
to  the  forsaken  appearance,  a  number  of  large  birds 
flew  up  from  their  perch  on  her  after-rail. 

We  were  close  under  her  stern,  when  the  carpen- 
ter gave  vent  to  an  exclamation  :' — 


In    Command   of  a   Cartel  233 

"  Oddslife  !  she's  English-built,  by  the  Word  !  " 
he  cried.  "Come,  let's  aboard  and  find  out  the 
meaning  of  it. " 

The  sides  were  too  steep  to  clamber  up,  but  run- 
ning our  shallop  to  the  sand,  we  found  we  could 
reach  her  decks  from  the  bank.  Leaving  Donna 
Maria  and  the  little  girl  alone,  we  hurriedly  climbed 
over  the  bulwarks. 

The  sight  forbade  long  tarrying !  It  did  not  re- 
quire our  eyes  alone  to  tell  us  that  death  claimed 
all  there  ahead  of  us.  She  was  full  of  the  bones 
of  dead  men !  A  great  skeleton  in  a  rusty  breast- 
plate grinned  at  us  from  the  foot  of  the  mainmast, 
and  several  huddled,  shrunken  figures  lay  about  on 
hammock  cloths. 

"The  fever!"  cried  Moone;  "she's  a  pest  ship. 
Hold  !  look  there  !  " 

He  pointed  to  the  arch  of  the  poop  deck,  that 
extended  well  forward,  and  there  in  red  letters  was 
painted,  "  Perivil  of  Hull." 

"  One  of  Garret's  vessels,"  cried  Minicy.  "  Poor 
luckless  devils ! " 

There  came  to  my  mind  the  message  writ  on  the 
leaden  plate  at  the  Isle  of  Pheasants.  So  this  was 
the  fate  of  one  party  of  adventurers.  What  would 
ours  be  ? 

"  God's  love !  let's  ashore,"  suddenly  put  in 
Moone.     "  I've  had  enow," 


234  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

I  was  nothing  loath,  for  the  sight,  let  alone  the 
laden  air,  was  taking  me  hard,  but  Minicy  demurred. 

"An  have  I  your  permission,"  he  said  to  me, 
"  I  will  go  below  and  see  if  there  is  aught  to  be 
learned." 

Without  staying  for  an  answer  he  hurried  down 
the  ladder  —  where  I  would  not  have  gone  for  all 
the  gold  and  silver  in  the  mines. 

We  went  over  the  side  and  waited  on  shore,  and 
presently  he  appeared. 

"  She  has  been  sacked,"  he  said.  "  Either  our 
friends  the  Maroons  or  the  Dons  have  been  here ; 
she's  been  cleaned  to  the  backbone  like  a  herring." 

So  we  left  the  vessel  and  joined  Donna  Maria, 
who  had  been  wondering  what  had  kept  us  such  a 
time  away.  In  a  few  words  I  told  of  the  ship  be- 
ing filled  with  the  fever,  but  said  nothing  of  the 
dead  men. 

The  storm  was  about  to  break  over  us,  and  we 
had  scarce  time  to  prepare  a  shelter  up  on  the  hill- 
side (where  a  well-defined  path  led  to  an  old  camp- 
ing ground)  before  the  rain  fell  in  ropes,  and  the 
wind  rising  afterwards,  it  blew  a  great  gale  with 
thunder  and  lightning  until  nearly  dawn.  We 
were  glad  to  be  on  shore,  for  after  the  storm  it  grew 
so  cold  that  we  unearthed  some  dry  wood  and  built 
a  fire.  But  Robert  Minicy  did  a  strange  bit  of 
work  that  night.     All  alone  during  the  storm,  he 


In    Command    of  a    Cartel  23 5" 

had  been  on  board  the  luckless  Perivil  of  Hully 
and  unassisted  he  had  given  each  poor  bundle  of 
bones  a  sailor's  burial  over  the  side  where  the  water 
was  three  fathoms  deep  even  at  the  ebb. 

The  storm  cleared  away  at  last,  and  before  the  sun 
was  fairly  up  we  took  to  the  oars  and  rowed  out  of 
the  harbor,  leaving  the  pest  ship  on  the  sands,  and 
beyond  her  we  could  see  rising  the  smoke  of  the 
smouldering  fire  from  our  camping-place.  There 
was  a  fine  breeze  outside,  and  spreading  sails,  we 
bore  oflF  to  the  south,  glad  to  be  away  from  the 
unhappy  bay.  Late  in  the  afternoon  we  made  the 
headland,  and  knew  that  we  were  at  the  end  of  our 
cruise ;  so  we  crept  inshore  and  drew  up  on  the 
beach.  Not  a  league  away  was  the  Isla  de  Basto- 
mentos,  and  there  we  intended  to  land  that  night,  for 
any  one  of  the  gardeners  would  take  Donna  de  Valdez 
up  the  harbor  to  the  town. 

"  Before  we  part.  Donna  Maria,"  said  I,  "  there  is 
one  thing  left  for  me  to  do." 

"  And  what  is  that,  senor  ?  Surely  you  and  your 
brave  men  have  done  enough." 

"  This,"  I  returned  shortly  —  "  to  return  to  you 
your  property."  And  I  handed  to  her  the  bag 
of  pearls. 

"  Nay,"  she  cried,  her  voice  breaking,  "  you  must 
keep  them  ;  they  are  yours." 


2^6  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

"  Now,"  said  I,  "  you  make  small  return  for  the 
value  of  our  service." 

We  were  drifting  in,  lying  on  our  oars,  off  the 
little  collection  of  huts  where  lived  the  gardeners 
and  their  slaves.     Our  voyage  was  made. 

The  moon  was  shining  so  brightly  that  one  could 
almost  have  read  a  book.  Donna  Maria  poured  the 
shining  jewels  into  her  lap.  The  men  had  watched 
me  closely  when  I  had  returned  them  to  her,  and 
they  were  wondering  what  was  coming.  Quickly 
she  picked  out  the  largest  pearl  and  extended  it  to 
Thomas  Moone.  He  shook  his  head.  Then  she 
tried  Smith  the  armorer ;  he  did  likewise.  Robert 
Minicy  bowed  with  an  attempt  at  gallantry.  So  she 
turned  to  Roger  Truman.  The  poor  lad  was 
trembling.  He  looked  at  me,  and  it  was  so  pitiful 
that  I  had  hard  work  to  prevent  my  tongue  from  tell- 
ing him  to  take  it.  What  would  the  value  of  that 
pearl  have  meant  to  the  old  folks  at  Portsmouth  ! 
The  lady  saw  him  wavering,  and  somehow  it  re- 
minded me  of  the  way  a  stranger  might  cajole  a  child 
to  take  a  dainty ;  she  smiled  at  him  and  stretched 
forth  her  hand.  I  should  have  said  nothing  had 
they  each  accepted,  for  they  had  been  laid  under  no 
agreement.     But  the  lad  closed  his  eyes. 

"  Tell  her  no,  sir,"  he  said  appealingly. 

"Master  Maunsell,"  broke  in  Minicy,  "prythee 
inform  her  ladyship  that  we  ask  for  naught,  nor 


In  Command  of  a  Cartel  237 

did  we  look  for  reward.  We  may  rob  the  king  of 
Spain,  —  we  are  common  English  seamen,  —  but 
we  take  no  largesse  when  we  risk  out  lives  for 
women  or  for  children.  We  have  as  much  pride  as 
our  leaders.     Thank  God  for  that !  " 

"  If  I  may  make  bold,"  suggested  Moone,  "  had 
not  the  lady  best  set  foot  on  shore  "  (our  keel  was 
grating  on  the  sand) ;  "  for  this  is  scarce  a  safe  place 
for  us."  He  looked  up  the  bay,  where  the  lights 
of  the  town  twinkled  in  the  distance. 

"  Hold  you  here,"  I  returned,  "  until  I  fetch  some 
one  from  the  huts."  So  I  jumped  into  the  bushes, 
and  hastening  forward  roused  out  an  old  man,  who 
was  at  first  dazed  with  fright  and  sleep.  But  I  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  it  into  his  head  that  a  large  reward 
awaited  him  if  he  would  convey  a  lady  to  the  Gov- 
ernor's palace  that  night,  and  he  followed  me  to  the 
shore. 

Little  Donna  Inez  was  awakened,  and  soon  her 
mother  and  I  were  facing  one  another  on  the  moon- 
lit beach,  she  holding  her  daughter's  hand. 

"  Sefior,"  said  Donna* de  Valdez,  "Heaven  grant 
that  we  meet  again,  and  that  I  can  repay  you  in 
some  kind.  My  heart  is  too  full  for  mere  words 
now,  but  I  will  pray  for  you  and  your  brave  men 
every  night.  My  husband,  too,  will  learn  from  me 
what  it  means  to  know  and  trust  Englishmen.  God 
grant  our  countries  will  never  be  at  open  war." 


238  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

I  kissed  her  hand ;  the  little  girl  turned  up  her 
face  to  me. 

"  See,  she  would  say  farewell,"  said  the  mother ; 
and  so,  bending,  I  kissed  the  little  girl  on  her  fore- 
head. 

Then  I  turned  back  to  the  boat.  Not  a  word 
was  spoken  as  we  pushed  off. 

Before  daylight  we  were  under  full  sail  up  the 
coast. 

I  had  not  the  smallest  chance  of  ever  seeing 
Donna  Maria  or  her  daughter  again,  I  thought ; 
forgetting  how  often  it  had  been  proved  to  me  that 
the  world  was  small. 


CHAPTER   XXIV 

THE    RETURN    OF    THE    WANDERERS 

AD  we  arrived  at  Fort  Diego  two  hours 
later  than  we  did,  we  would  have  missed 
a  sight  that  none  who  were  witnesses  of 
are  ever  likely  to  forget ;  I  never  shall 
forget  it  so  long  as  I  live.  But  to  go  on  with  the 
tale: — Hixon's  relief  at  seeing  us  was  manifest;  he 
had  done  much  brooding  over  our  long  absence,  but 
even  the  relief  he  felt  at  our  safe  return  did  not  pre- 
vent him  from  giving  vent  to  his  feelings  of  despair. 
Not  a  sign  had  come  from  the  expedition,  and 
although  the  sickness  was  in  most  part  over,  the 
men  were  in  a  bad  state  from  lack  of  employment 
and  despondency.  I  told  him  of  how  we  had  found 
Garret's  vessel  stranded,  a  monument  of  disaster, 
and  the  effect  did  not  encourage  our  hopes  in  regard 
to  ourselves. 

While  we  were  thus  discoursing  there  rose  a  great 
shout  from  a  group  of  men  gathered  about  one  of 
the  cook  tents  near  the  gate.  Jumping  to  our  feet, 
half  fearing  trouble,  we  looked  up  the  hill.  There, 
a  half  mile  away,  we  saw  the  glitter  of  steel  through 

239 


240  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

the  leaves,  and,  a  minute  later,  a  band  of  men  came 
out  into  the  open.  One  glance  was  enough. 
Heaven  be  praised !  the  figure  leading  was  no  other 
than  the  Captain !  I  knew  him  by  the  swing  of 
his  shoulders,  and  his  short,  sturdy  steps.  Behind 
him  trailed  his  followers,  and  then  came  a  few  blacks 
bringing  up  the  rear,  but  they  carried  no  loads,  and 
our  men  also  had  nothing  in  their  hands.  With  a 
cheer  we  ran  to  meet  them,  all  welcome  and  eager- 
ness, but  as  we  got  near  we  halted,  and  for  an  instant 
none  on  either  side  spoke  a  single  word.  ,,  Such  a 
gaunt,  weary-legged  lot  never  reached  a  journey's 
end.  Many  were  half  naked,  their  scratched  skins 
showing  through  the  rents  in  their  clothing;  all 
were  limping  and  bare-footed,  and  Drake  himself 
had  but  one  boot  that  was  whole.  My  eye  sought 
for  my  Uncle  Alleyn.  I  should  scarcely  have  known 
him  had  he  not  spoken.  He  had  grown  to  be  al- 
most an  old  man ;  so  thin  and  worn  was  he,  that 
his  fingers  were  like  a  bird's  talons,  and  his  eyes, 
sunk  back  in  his  head,  gleamed  like  a  wild  man's. 
The  Maroons,  who  accompanied  the  force,  were  in 
better  fettle,  but  they  too  showed  the  effects  of 
hardship. 

"  Food  for  these  men  !  "  cried  Drake.  "  How 
now,  my  masters ;  we're  not  ghosts,  and  we  have 
need  of  filling.  Make  haste,  for  we're  nigh 
famished." 


The  Return  of  the  Wanderers  241 

"  Our  meal  has  just  been  made  ready  in  the  big 
tent,"  replied  Hixon.  "But  thank  God  there  is 
more  than  plenty." 

"  Then,  let's  at  it,"  Drake  replied,  "  and  have 
some  fetched  me,  too,  for,  by  the  Dragon,  I'm  naught 
but  ribs  and  backbone." 

The  men  made  a  mad  rush  for  the  tent  from 
which  came  the  smoke  and  the  savor  of  cooking, 
and  the  Captain,  with  my  uncle  and  the  rest  of  the 
gentlemen,  made  for  the  headquarters,  where  wine 
and  bread  were  set  before  them.  And  when  they 
had  refreshed  themselves,  we  heard  their  tale. 

It  was  but  a  repeating  of  former  ill-fortune.  The 
Maroon  leader  had  proved  faithful  to  his  word.  He 
had  shown  them  from  the  top  of  a  high  hill  the 
great  stretching  waters  of  the  unknown  sea  to  the 
westward,  and  there  on  his  bended  knees  did  Fran- 
cis Drake  (when  he  had  descended  from  a  tall  tree 
he  had  climbed,  and  from  which  both  oceans  were 
visible),  make  solemn  vow.  It  was,  if  God  gave 
him  strength  and  life,  to  sail  with  an  English  deck 
beneath  him  in  those  waters  that  had  known  hereto- 
fore but  Spanish  keels. 

Pedro,  the  chief,  had  so  won  Drake's  good  opin- 
ion that  the  Captain  had  spent  the  greater  part  of  the 
westward  journey  in  endeavoring  to  convert  him 
from  idolatry  and  false  doctrine,  and  he  had  been 
baptized  to  our  faith.     And  this  was  the  pnly  fruit 


2^1  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

of  the  expedition  —  the  saving  of  a  soul  —  for 
though  they  had  found  the  mule  trains  at  the  point 
designated  by  our  allies,  our  archers  had  prematurely 
disclosed  themselves,  with  the  result  that  warning 
was  given,  a  guard  had  been  hurried  out  from 
Panama,  and  our  forces  had  to  retreat  empty-handed. 
They  had  fought  their  way  through  a  Spanish  town, 
sword  in  hand,  and  since  then  had  wandered  in  the 
forest,  with  nothing  but  what  they  could  pick  up  on 
their  march  to  keep  body  and  soul  together. 

"  And  now,"  asked  Hixon,  when  the  story  had 
been  finished,  "  what  is  there  next  to  do  ? " 

"  There  is  still  Nombre  de  Dios,"  quoth  Drake, 
who,  warmed  by  food  and  wine,  was  beginning  to 
look  up  again.  And  at  this  we  all  sat  there  and 
gazed  at  one  another.  Out  of  the  seventy-three 
souls  we  were  now  scarcely  thirty  left,  and  these 
weak  and  ill-found  in  everything.  Not  only  was 
the  desire  to  fight  killed  in  some,  but  apparently  the 
very  desire  to  live  —  so  looked  they,  at  all  events. 
But  the  Captain  smiled  bravely  round  at  us  and 
poured  his  wine.  "  Hark'ee  all  to  me,"  he  began. 
"I  am  neither  mad  or  cajoling  you,  but, this  voyage 
will  be  made  !  yea,  despite  all  that  has  gone  before 
—  we  will  live  to  see  it  through.  Come,  lift  up  your 
hearts,  good  sirs.  Remember  ye  are  Englishmen  ! 
Two  days*  resting,  and  we  are  out  to  sea,  and  before 
two  months  we  are  off  for  England  !  —  then  there 


The  Return  of  the  Wanderers  243 

will  be  a  merry  time  in  Plymouth,  I  can  promise  ye 
— every  one  with  gold  jingling  in  his  pouch,  and 
trinkets  galore  for  his  sweetheart !  " 

Lifting  his  goblet  of  wine,  he  pledged  "  Success  " 
the  same  as  a  man  might  pledge  a  boon  companion 
present  at  a  gathering. 

Again  followed  the  strange  infusion  of  new 
spirits.  Not  many  minutes  and  we  were  in  gay 
talk,  big  with  hope,  —  counting  our  fishes  ere  we 
baited  hook  —  as  was  our  wont  when  Drake  had 
spoken. 

So  busy  were  we  during  the  next  few  days  (it  was 
a  week  before  we  were  ready  to  sail)  that  I  found 
no  chance  to  tell  Captain  Francis  of  what  I  had 
done  with  our  fair  prisoner,  and  her  absence  was 
not  remarked  until  the  time  came  for  setting  the 
Spaniards  ashore,  which  we  did,  turning  Fort  Diego 
over  to  them  if  they  chose  to  take  it.  But,  Drake 
securing  promise  of  safe  escort  for  them  from  the 
Maroons,  they  started  under  the  command  of  the 
treacherous  Don  Lopez  for  a  Spanish  stronghold 
up  the  coast.  Drake  was  not  pleased  with  my  doings 
in  regard  to  freeing  our  hostages,  I  could  see  that,  and 
warned  me  against  women  and  their  wiles,  as  if  he 
were  not  the  most  human  creature  in  the  world  and 
as  prone  as  any  man  to  the  influence  of  a  bright  eye 
and  a  smile.  But  enough  of  this ;  what  I  had  done 
had  no  bearing  upon  the  success  or  failure  of  our 


244  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

expedition,  and  was  of  future  concern  to  no  one  but 
myself,  and,  as  will  be  shown,  my  softness  of  heart 
was  not  wasted,  nor  was  it  forgotten  either,  which  is 
more  to  the  point. 

Under  the  Captain's  orders  the  frigate  (where  the 
prisoners  had  been)  was  sunk,  and  in  the  Pacha 
and  pinnaces  we  embarked,  bidding  farewell  to  our 
friends,  the  Maroons,  only  for  a  time,  as  they  were 
pledged  to  meet  us  within  a  fortnight  down  the 
coast  in  the  direction  of  Nombre  de  Dios.  Several 
who  had  some  experience  as  sailors  embarked  with 
us.  I  was  chosen  to  go  with  our  leader,  who  had 
taken  the  Minion  under  his  command.  Although 
Pedro,  the  black  chief,  had,  with  fruitless  effort, 
urged  Captain  Drake  to  proceed  forthwith  and 
attack  the  hacienda  of  a  rich  Spaniard,  a  mine 
owner  in  Veragua,  Drake  thought  best  to  set  out 
boldly  against  the  treasure  frigates  that  were  gather- 
ing at  this  time  in  the  harbor  of  Nombre  de  Dios. 

On  the  third  day  as  we  cruised  to  the  southwest- 
ward  we  sighted  a  sail,  and  as  we  carried  a  fair  wind 
we  made  up  to  her  and  without  any  fighting  worthy 
the  name  we  took  her.  This  was  the  beginning  of 
the  turn  of  the  tide  in  our  affairs.  Fortune  began 
to  smile  on  us.  The  vessel  proved  to  be  a  frigate 
late  from  Veragua,  and  she  had  on  board  some 
treasure  and  a  pilot  from  Genoa  who  was  willing  to 
serve  any  one  for  reward.     He  promised,  without 


The  Return  of  the  Wanderers  245 

asking,  to  take  us  back  to  the  port  he  had  just 
quitted,  where  there  was  a  large  frigate  with  over  a 
million  in  gold  on  board  just  ready  to  sail.  So 
nothing  loath,  back  we  went,  and  boldly  sailed  in 
for  the  harbor.  But  they  were  forewarned,  and 
made  such  a  show  of  defence  with  so  many  cannon 
mounted  and  ready  (the  frigate  warped  in  between 
two  great  forts),  that  we  had  to  give  up  the  idea  of 
attack,  and  sailing  out  again  we  joined  the  other 
pinnace  at  the  place  we  had  appointed.  John 
Oxenham,  who  was  in  command,  had  been  even 
more  fortunate  than  we  had  been,  for  he  had  taken 
such  a  fine  new  vessel  that  the  Captain,  upon  seeing 
her,  declared  she  was  just  the  one  for  his  purpose. 
So  he  determined  to  keep  her  and  to  fit  her  out 
with  cannon  and  culverins  as  a  floating  fortress  to 
which  we  might  retreat  if  need  be,  when  hard 
pressed,  as  she  was  victualled  for  a  three  months' 
voyage.  Our  little  force  was  thus  again  divided, 
and  keeping  close  together  we  sailed  down  the  coast 
for  the  harbor  where,  as  had  been  agreed,  we  were  to 
meet  Pedro  and  his  Maroons.  But  we  were  to  have 
another  bit  of  good  fortune  happen  us,  upon  which 
we  had  not  counted,  ere  we  joined  our  faithful  allies. 


It  was  dusk  of  evening  and  we  were  but  three 
leagues  off  shore  when  the  lookout  at  the  masthead 


246  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

of  the  frigate  shouted  down  that  a  large  vessel  was 
in  sight,  up  to  windward,  heading  in,  so  that  unless 
she  changed  her  course  to  avoid  us  she  would  cross 
our  bows  shortly  after  nightfall.  Soon  she  was  in 
plain  sight,  and  her  conduct  was  such  that  we  were 
puzzled  to  make  out  her  purpose ;  certes  it  was  not 
to  run  away,  for  on  she  came  with  all  sail  set,  as  if  to 
meet  us  ere  we  could  put  in  to  shore.  Gently  we 
fanned  along  in  the  light  wind,  and  darkness  closed 
down  when  she  was  yet  a  league  or  more  distant, 
but  still  nearing,  and  we  could  surely  count  the 
time  when  she  would  be  within  hailing. 

The  Minion  discovered  her  first,  and  then  the 
stranger  was  close  aboard  and  taking  in  her  mainsail 
to  stop  her  headway. 

"  We  are  in  for  a  fight,"  said  Drake,  half  grinning, 
[we  were  all  prepared  for  it,  steel  out  and  matches 
burning,]  and  he  shouted  for  the  other  two  vessels 
to  close  in.  We  were  about  to  cheer  —  the  way 
Englishmen  begin  any  such  business  —  when  there 
came  a  hail  and  a  loud  voice  spoke  in  French,  asking 
if  "  Captain  Francis  Drake  was  in  command  ?  " 

"  'Tis  a  trick  !  "  cried  the  Captain,  not  answering, 
and  putting  down  the  helm  we  almost  grated  along 
the  big  ship's  side. 

"  They  are  Spaniards  !  "  cried  another  voice  from 
the  stranger  in  French  again,  and  with  a  frightened 
ring  to  it.     "  Spaniards  !     Make  ready  to  fire !  " 


The  Return  of  the  Wanderers  247 

Our  cannoneers  had  sighted  their  pieces,  and 
there  might  have  been  a  pretty  slaughtering  had 
I  not  jumped  to  my  feet  and  cried,  at  top  lung, — 

"  *Tis  Captain  Drake !     Who  are  you  ?  " 

"  Hold  !  "  came  the  answer.     "  Friends." 

There  we  lay  but  a  pike's  length  distance,  for  a 
moment's  silence.  Then  the  Captain  himself  took  a 
hand. 

"  I  am  Francis  Drake,"  he  cried,  with  his  broad 
Devonshire  twang.     "  What  want  you  ?  " 

"This  is  Captain  William  Testu  of  the  Fran- 
coiyse  de  Gracey'  replied  the  voice  that  had  first 
spoken.  "  For  six  weeks  I  have  been  seeking  you. 
Do  me  the  honor  to  come  on  board,  and  fear  no 
treachery." 

With  that  a  big  man  could  be  seen  standing  upon 
the  bulwarks,  a  plain  mark  for  any  of  our  archers 
—  but  he  feared  naught,  and  stood  stretching  his 
hand  out  to  us.  Another  moment  and  we  had 
drifted  together  and  Captain  Drake  stepped  boldly 
over  the  stranger's  side. 

Everything  that  had  been  said  had  been  heard  on 
board  the  other  pinnace  and  the  frigate,  and  the 
marvel  was  that  up  to  the  first  hail  there  had  been 
no  shot  exchanged.  Now  all  anxiety  and  in  deep 
wonder  we  lay  there  waiting. 


CHAPTER  XXV 

THE    RAID 


IT  seemed  more  than  an  hour  that  we 
waited,  all  anxiety  to  hear  from  the 
stranger,  not  knowing  what  had  become 

of  the  Captain,  and  half  in  fear  of  his 

safety,  but  doubtless  this  very  uncertainty  made  the 
minutes  drag  so. 

Great,  verily,  was  our  relief  when  we  heard 
Drake's  voice  calling  to  us  that  all  was  well,  and 
asking  certain  of  us  to  come  on  board.  This  we 
did,  and  were  presented  to  the  Frenchman  and  his 
officers.  Down  in  the  cabin,  as  we  sat  over  our 
wine,  we  learned  much  of  the  goings  on  in  the 
world  from  which  we  had  been  so  long  apart.  Cap- 
tain Le  Testu  proved  to  be  a  Huguenot  (as  many 
had  correctly  guessed),  and  he  told  us  of  the  great 
massacre  of  the  eve  of  Saint  Bartholomew,  a  tale 
so  horrible  that  we  were  struck  at  first  speechless, 
and  could  but  gaze  at  one  another,  and  at  the 
speaker  with  loud  beating  hearts.  But  when  he  had 
finished  there  rose  a  chorused  groan.  A  bond  of 
sympathy  was  formed  at  once  between  us  and  the 

248 


The  Raid 


249 


little  wandering  band  of  Huguenots,  a  bond  that 
was  stronger  than  any  written  compact ;  and  when 
Le  Testu  proposed  that  he  should  cast  in  his  lot 
with  ours  there  was  not  a  dissenting  voice,  all  wel- 
comed him  as  if  he  were  a  friend  and  countryman. 

There  were  thus  seventy  well-found  sailor  men 
added  to  our  forces,  and  the  terms  were  easy  — 
share  and  share  alike,  in  any  venture  that  might  be- 
fall. As  our  new  friends  were  in  need  of  water  and 
supplies,  we  put  in  shore  together  at  the  place,  where, 
true  to  his  word,  we  found  Pedro  the  Maroon  in 
waiting,  and  there  we  lay  for  five  days  tuning  up, 
and  planning  out  the  work  ahead  of  us.  Captain 
Drake,  as  usual  with  him,  had  his  own  way  in  all 
things,  so  there  was  no  conflict  as  to  design  or 
leadership.  Health  and  spirits  had  returned  to  us, 
and  there  were  no  more  forebodings  or  doleful 
prophecies. 


I  cannot  conceive  how  it  was  that,  during  all  the 
time  that  the  Spaniards  must  have  known  of  our 
being  near  to  them,  they  had  fitted  out  no  expe- 
dition against  us.  There  were  rumors  of  such,  but 
we  saw  no  evidence  that  they  wished  at  any  time  to 
turn  aggressors.  Perhaps  they  were  too  busy  grow- 
ing rich  to  take  notice  of  our  presence,  or  in  their 
way  —  which  is  a  national  habit  —  had  put  all  off  to 


2 JO  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

that  fleeting  morrow  that  never  comes  in  the  Span- 
ish calendar.  Suffice  it,  we  were  unmolested  in  our 
retreat,  and  continued  our  preparations  until  every- 
thing was  ready  to  the  last  detail,  the  men  had  been 
picked  out  who  were  best  suited  for  the  purpose, 
and  the  forces  divided  into  three  divisions.  There 
were  twenty  men  from  Testu's  ship  under  command 
of  their  captain,  fifteen  of  us  under  Drake,  and  a 
band  of  twenty-five  black  men  led  by  Pedro.  The 
plan  was  to  leave  both  ships  with  a  strong  guard  in 
the  secret  harbor,  and,  with  the  frigate  we  had  taken 
and  the  two  pinnaces,  proceed  to  the  Rio  Francisco 
and  thence  inland  on  foot  to  a  point  on  the  Panama 
road,  not  far  from  the  big  gate  of  Nombre  de  Dios, 
where  the  trail  enters  the  city.  Pedro  knew  every 
lane  and  pathway  that  led  through  the  woods,  and 
with  his  followers  was  to  act  as  guide  and  van- 
guard. 

When  we  reached  the  river  we  found  that  a  wide 
shallow  prevented  the  frigate's  entrance,  so  that  much 
against  our  will  we  were  forced  to  leave  her  and  push 
up  with  our  two  pinnaces  alone  —  they  being 
crowded  to  the  gunwales  and  giving  us  little  room 
for  carrying  off  any  goods  or  treasures  that  we  might 
be  fortunate  enough  to  gather. 

A  small  force  of  French  and  English  was  left  at 
the  Headlands,  and  with  a  wind  to  help  us  we  en- 
tered the  current  of  the  stream.      Good  progress 


The  Raid 


251 


we  made  and,  landing  in  the  evening,  again  a  boat- 
guard  was  detailed  and  given  instruction  to  put  out 
with  the  pinnaces  and  join  the  frigate,  but  to  return, 
on  their  lives,  on  the  fourth  day  and  await  us.  I  was 
in  great  fear  that  I  should  be  left  behind  with  them, 
but  to  my  joy  I  was  chosen  to  land,  and  declared  to 
myi  elf  that  I  would  stay  as  close  to  the  Captain  as 
a  hound  to  his  master,  to  be  ready  to  obey  any 
order,  and  to  win  a  word  from  him  if  possible.  It 
took  all  of  the  next  day  —  hard  travelling  —  to  cover 
the  seven  leagues  that  lay  between  the  river  and  the 
highway,  but  at  dusk  the  word  came  back  that  we 
had  reached  our  journey's  end,  and  we  lay  down  to 
sleep,  tired  and  footsore,  but  hopeful  and  confident. 
Not  long  were  we  suffered  to  remain  at  rest,  for 
the  Captain,  accompanied  by  Pedro  and  Diego  (who 
knew  every  foot  of  ground)  stirred  us  out,  and  we 
were  moved  a  mile  or  so  to  the  eastward  and  sta- 
tioned on  the  crest  of  a  hill  up  which  the  trail  from 
the  west  wound  its  way,  looking  like  a  white  ribbon 
stretching  below  us  in  the  bright  moonlight.  On 
our  other  hand  lay  the  town  with  its  two  spires  lift- 
ing above  the  trees.  I  could  mark  where  was  the 
Plaza  and  where  the  fort,  and  the  roof  of  the  gov- 
ernor's palace  could  be  plainly  seen,  also  the  treasure 
house  down  by  the  shore.  All  was  calm  and  peaceful ; 
a  few  lights  showed  here  and  there  on  the  water- 
front and  at  the  big  gate,  out  of  which  the  populace 


252  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

had  hastened  upon  the  occasion  of  our  previous  at- 
tack. A  slight  breeze  sprung  up  from  seaward  in 
the  early  morning  hours,  and  as  we  settled  ourselves, 
and  the  rustle  and  movement  ceased,  we  could  hear 
a  distant  sound  of  hammering,  and  now  and  then 
the  creaking  of  block  and  tackle  showing  that  not 
all  of  the  Spaniards  were  asleep. 

Hixon,  who  lay  close  to  me,  whispered  in  my 
ear :  — 

"  Hearken,"  said  he.  "  They're  at  work  in  the 
shipyards,  and  needs  must  be  pressing  when  the 
Dons  turn  night  into  day." 

"  The  fleet  must  be  near  to  sailing,"  put  in  my 
Uncle  Alleyn,  at  my  elbow.  "  Who  can  tell  how 
many  poor  English  shipwrights  are  at  work  down 
therein  chains — slaves  for  life — and  better  dead 
than  hving."  He  went  on  bitterly  at  some  length, 
when  from  the  shelter  of  some  bushes  across  the 
road  a  calm  voice  broke  in  upon  him. 

"  Come,  hold  thy  tongue  and  strain  thy  ears, 
friend  Alleyn,  for  we  are  all  listening ;  not  to  thee, 
or  to  the  town,  but  for  the  sound  of  hoofs,  and  thy 
talk  would  outdin  a  charge  of  horse.  So  hold  quiet, 
we  beseech  thee." 

My  uncle  clapped  a  stopper  on  his  tongue,  for 
it  was  Captain  Drake  who  had  spoken,  and  for  a 
few  moments  nothing  was  heard,  and  the  air  that 
had  brought  to  us   the    notes    from  the    city  died 


The  Raid  253 

away.  Suddenly  from  the  westward  came  a  faint 
strain  of  music  like  unto  the  wind  among  guitar 
strings. 

"  I  hear  bells  !  "  said  some  one,  off  down  the  line, 
out  loud ;  and  then  followed  the  sound  of  stirring 
midst  the  leaves,  men  were  heard  awakening  others 
roughly,  there  were  mumbled  curses  and  back  talk. 
A  sword  clinked  loudly  against  a  scabbard. 

But  the  Captain  commanded  silence  and  threatened 
the  first  who  broke  it  with  the  halter,  and  all  was 
still  as  a  grave  once  more.  I  could  hear  the  beat- 
ing of  my  own  heart  plainly. 

But  now  the  faint  and  fitful  music  had  grown  to 
a  chorused  tinkling ;  a  continuous  chiming  was  well- 
ing up  from  the  vale  beneath  us. 

"  The  recuas ! "  whispered  my  uncle,  teeth 
a-chatter,  "  the  mules  are  coming,  we're  on  time." 
He  drew  his  fingernail  along  his  sword-edge. 

Parting  the  leaves  about  my  head,  I  cautiously 
peered  forth.  Ay !  there  they  were :  winding, 
single  file,  out  of  woods  on  the  slope  below.  At 
the  head  rode  a  shrouded  figure  on  a  gray  horse,  and 
here  and  there  I  could  make  out  more  men,  some 
walking,  some  astride  the  little  mules.  There  must 
have  been  two  hundred  laden  animals  in  the  long 
procession.  Now,  as  each  could  carry  twice  what  a 
man  could,  think  upon  the  value  of  that  convoy  ! 

On  they  came !  the  leader  had  mounted  the  hill ; 


254  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

a  little  more  and  we  could  hear  his  horse's  hoofs, 
and  now  he  must  have  passed  the  outposts  and 
must  be  well  within  our  lines  !  Yet  no  one  stirred. 
The  man  on  the  horse  must  have  been  asleep ;  his 
head  was  bowed  forward,  his  great  plumed  hat  hid 
his  face,  and  the  great  cloak  he  wore  was  wrapped 
tightly  over  his  shoulders.  As  he  drew  abreast  of 
us,  I  heard  Drake  give  an  order  in  a  loud  whisper, 
as  one  might  to  a  bloodhound  straining  in  the  slip 
leash. 

"  At  him,  my  brave  Bob  !  "  said  he. 

A  figure  leapt  like  a  beast  of  prey  out  of  the 
bushes,  full  six  foot  clear  of  the  ground  was  the 
leap,  and  the  Spaniard,  ere  he  was  awake  perhaps, 
tumbled  with  a  smothered  groan  almost  at  my  feet. 
Minicy  was  atop  of  him,  and  some  one  grasped  the 
horse's  bridle. 

The  business  had  been  done  so  quickly  that  I 
could  scarce  believe  I  was  not  dreaming,  but  there 
was  the  boatswain  standing  above  the  now  silent 
figure  on  the  ground,  and  I  saw  him  bend  and  wipe 
his  dagger  on  the  Spaniard's  cloak. 

"  Good  work,  sir,  eh  ?  "  he  said  in  prideful  tones, 
looking  up  at  me. 

But  there  was  too  much  doing  for  reply,  and  I 
grant  that  just  then  I  was  filled  with  the  horror  of 
the  suddenness  of  death,  and  half  drew  back.  The 
leading  mule  at  the  halt  had  laid  him  down  and,  not 


The  Raid  255 

knowing  this  was  the  custom,  I  was  most  surprised 
when  the  second  did  the  same,  and  then  with  a 
jingling  of  their  bells  the  whole  long  line  sank  to 
the  ground.     It  was  Hke  witchcraft ! 

But  all  at  once  there  came  a  cry  followed  by  the 
crash  of  steel  against  steel,  a  pistol  shot,  and  then 
with  a  rush  we  broke  cover  and  ran  down  the  line. 
Halfway  up  the  hill  I  could  see  a  mass  of  struggling 
figures  —  here  was  some  tall  fighting  —  and  with  my 
blood  running  hot,  I  tried  to  get  into  it,  but  our 
own  men  outnumbered  the  Spaniards  at  this  point 
and  they  were  soon  borne  down. 

"  Back  to  the  end  of  the  train,"  cried  Captain 
Drake,  emerging  from  the  crowd.  "  Don't  let  them 
turn  away  from  us  !  " 

With  a  few  others  I  started  down  the  road  again 
at  top  speed,  and  from  the  hill  crest  I  saw  twenty  or 
thirty  armed  men  come  charging  up  to  meet  us. 
The  way  was  narrow ;  on  each  side  rose  the  thick 
mass  of  shrubs  and  vines  (in  which  one  could  not 
swing  a  weapon),  and  the  mules  blocked  the  cen- 
tre of  the  trail.  Turning,  I  shouted  for  assistance 
to  meet  this  onslaught,  for  there  were  with  me 
but  one  English  archer,  two  Frenchmen,  and  four 
blacks.  I  saw  it  was  Captain  Testu  who  was  at  my 
side ;  but  my  cry  had  been  heard.  Coming  on  the 
jump  were  Drake  and  Oxenham,  Minicy,  Ceely, 
Diego,  my  uncle,  and  Thomas  Moone.     So  by  the 


256  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

time  the  crash  came  the  odds  were  not  so  great 
against  us.  All  of  the  Spaniards  were  on  foot, 
with  the  exception  of  a  big  man  who,  mounted  on  a 
saddle-mule,  was  urging  on  the  others  from  the  rear. 
It  was  a  confused  fight  that  followed,  and  I  ever 
marvel  that  I  could  recall  so  much  of  it  to  my 
mind. 

The  headmost  Spaniard  stumbled  over  a  recum- 
bent mule,  and  ran  straight  upon  my  point;  the 
second,  who  was,  to  say  the  least,  more  cautious,  got 
his  bearings  well,  and  crossed  swords  with  Testu, 
who  stood  like  a  fencer,  wrist  up,  and  foot  advanced. 
There  were  a  few  passes  and  nothing  done,  and  then 
the  men  from  behind  us  crowding  up,  one  of  them 
ran  full  tilt  against  the  Frenchman,  so  that  he 
staggered  to  one  side,  and  the  Spaniard,  with  a  cry 
of  triumph,  ran  him  through  the  lungs  ere  he  could 
gain  his  balance.  Not  long  did  he  live  to  gloat 
over  it.  The  archer  let  fly  a  shaft,  at  six  foot 
distance,  that  went  into  his  heart  up  to  the  goose 
feathers,  and  he  fell  dead.  No  front  could  be  main- 
tained ;  soon  we  were  hand  to  hand  in  a  long  strug- 
gling line,  and  for  half  a  minute  I  fought  with  one 
of  Testu's  men,  ere  either  of  us  found  our  mistake. 
There  was  no  quarter  asked  or  given ;  it  was  cut 
and  thrust  to  left  and  right,  and  wicked  stabbing  on 
the  ground,  and  I  can  affirm  that  the  Dons  fought 
bravely.     The  recua  guards  were  all  picked  men  and 


The  Raid  257 

ably  led ;  but  many  of  our  fellows  had  joined  us, 
and  soon  there  were  but  four  Spaniards  left,  the 
man  on  the  mule  and  three  stout  fellows  who  stood 
beside  him.  Boldly  and  undismayed  by  our  num- 
bers they  charged  upon  us.  We  were  in  such  con- 
fusion (being  mixed  up  with  the  pack  animals,  who 
were  now  badly  frightened,  and  letting  go  their 
heels)  that  for  an  instant  the  handful  beat  us  back. 

But  the  Captain  and  Minicy  forged  to  the  front. 
I  had  been  pushed  to  the  opposite  side  of  the  road 
and  could  not  get  to  them,  but  I  saw  the  Captain 
cleave  a  swart  pikeman  almost  to  his  middle,  and 
the  man  on  the  mule  at  that  moment  rode  our 
leader  down.  Now  I  have  spoken  of  Drake's  great 
strength,  but  what  he  did  I  should  have  said  no 
mortal  man  could  do ;  for  as  he  rose  he  grasped  the 
beast's  forelegs  and  tossed  him  and  the  rider  to  the 
ground.  Minicy,  with  that  tiger  spring  of  his, 
leaped  across  the  fallen  mule.  I  saw  his  dagger 
flash  three  times,  and  the  last  of  our  enemy  was 
done  for.  If  there  were  others  we  did  not  see 
them ;  the  field  was  ours !  We  had  more  wealth 
at  our  command  than  we  could  count,  let  alone 
carry  off.  The  men  were  befuddled  with  good- 
fortune. 

Nothing  but  Drake's  calm  voice  held  back  our 
lads  from  cheering,  and  naught  but  his  influence  re- 
stored order  to  our  ranks.     For  a  few  minutes  the 


258  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

party  was  like  to  go  to  pieces,  and  fall  to  quarrelling. 
The  packs  were  torn  from  the  animals,  and  a  great 
babble  of  French  and  English  curses  rose.  Quoits 
and  ingots  of  gold  and  silver  were  scattered  hither 
and  thither  on  the  road.  The  men  would  pick  them 
up  and  cast  them  down  again,  searching  for  the 
largest ;  some  were  trying  to  lead  the  animals  off  into 
the  brush,  where  they  were  stalled  ere  they  had 
gone  ten  feet.  But  our  leader  was  here,  there,  and 
everywhere,  cajoling,  laughing,  and  threatening, 
using  the  flat  of  his  bloody  sword  at  times,  and  on 
one  occasion  tumbling  a  huge  Frenchman  to  the 
earth  with  a  fist  blow.  And  soon  he  had  them  in 
some  order,  and  when  all  were  listening,  he  por- 
tioned out  as  much  as  each  man  could  stagger  with, 
and  forming  us  into  line,  with  Pedro  and  Diego 
leading,  we  made  off  through  the  forest,  retracing 
our  journey  of  the  night  before. 

For  two  miles  we  kept  going,  but  the  burdens 
were  too  great  for  men  to  last  under,  and  as  they 
had  begun  to  lighten  themselves,  either  by  design  or 
because  of  fatigue,  a  halt  was  called,  and  in  the  land- 
crab  holes  and  at  the  foot  of  a  great  tree  we  hid 
a  half  ton  or  more  of  treasure. 

The  Maroons,  who  had  held  aloof  from  the  strug- 
gle for  possession  that  had  come  nigh  to  undoing 
us,  bore  their  part  of  the  burden,  and  we  pressed 
ahead,  Robert  Minicy  carrying  a  loaded  pack-saddle, 


The  Raid  259 

on  his  shoulders,  that  must  have  weighed  more  than 
he  did,  and  refusing  to  allow  any  one  to  help  him. 
The  wounded,  of  whom  we  had  a  dozen,  bore  up 
bravely,  and  I  heard  neither  groans  nor  complaining 
—  there  was  but  one  thought  in  the  minds  of  all. 
The  Captain's  words  had  come  true  —  our  voyage 
was  made ;  we  were  rich  men  all ! 

There  was  a  sad  scene  that  I  must  tell  of  in  this 
speaking:  The  French  captain  was  grievously 
wounded.  We  had  lost  but  one  killed,  and  he  a 
black  man,  but  Le  Testu  was  in  much  suffering. 
Tho*  borne  on  a  litter,  he  would  choke  up  with  the 
blood  in  his  throat,  and  at  last  he  called  Captain 
Drake  to  him  and  declared  that  another  mile  would 
kill  him ;  he  begged  to  be  left  behind  to  die  in 
lesser  agony.  At  first  Drake  would  hear  naught  of 
it ;  but  seeing  at  last  that  the  words  were  true,  he 
gave  in,  and  the  Maroons  made  a  hasty  bower  in 
which  we  laid  the  poor  fellow,  and  he  was  grateful. 
Two  of  his  men  chose  to  stay  with  him,  and  Drake 
promised  to  send  back  and  get  them  all  as  soon  as 
we  had  reached  our  ship  and  were  ready  to  set  sail. 
We  left  with  them  all  the  provisions  we  could  spare, 
enough  for  a  week  or  more,  and  bidding  them  fare- 
well, we  pressed  ahead. 

It  rained  and  stormed  all  that  night,  but  we  rested 
not,  and  the  next  day  we  kept  at  it,  although  weak 
and  soaked,  and  dog  tired  —  but  no  one  shirked. 


26o  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

Our  voyage  was  made,  and  each  man  encouraged  his 
neighbor  with  cheerful  words.  So  at  last  we  came 
to  the  river  but  a  furlong  from  the  spot  where  we 
had  disembarked;  we  threw  our  packs  upon  the 
bank,  and  sank  down  on  our  knees  and  gave  thanks 
to  God.  But  alas !  all  was  soon  black  again,  and 
our  future  changed  to  a  dismal  prospect.  There 
were  no  pinnaces  in  sight,  no  welcome  sails  to  greet 
us,  and  there,  to  our  dismay,  we  saw  in  the  offing 
beyond  the  headlands  —  five  vessels  —  all  Spanish, 
as  plain  as  could  be,  and  to  all  appearance  waiting 
there  on  guard ! 


CHAPTER   XXIV 

THE    CAPTAIN    SAVES    US 


IT  the  Captain's  orders  we  all  hurried  back 
into  the  bushes,  and  there  sat  us  down ; 
alas,  a  sorrowful  party,  for  to  all  minds 

there  was  but  one  meaning  given  to  the 

presence  of  the  Spanish  vessels — our  own  had  been 
sunk  or  captured ! 

I  can  see  it  all  now  in  my  mind's  eye  —  the  deep 
dejection  into  which  we  had  been  cast,  making  of 
each  man's  face  a  tablet,  on  which  was  written  anger 
or  despair  1  Poor  Roger  Truman  lay  sprawling  on 
the  dank  ground,  his  head  buried  in  his  arms, 
racked  by  silent  sobs ;  Minicy,  seated  on  his  sad- 
dle-bags, and  gray  with  the  exhaustion  of  the  jour- 
ney and  his  labors  —  stabbing  with  his  dagger  at 
the  earth — surly  mutterings  on  his  lips;  the  French- 
men casting  angry  glances  at  our  Captain,  who  stood 
leaning  with  one  hand  against  a  tree-trunk  —  the 
other  parting  the  bushes  while  he  gazed  out  at  the 
Spanish  sails.  Beside  each  man  as  he  sat  there  rested 
a  fortune  —  quoits  and  ingots  of  gold  and  silver  tied 
together,  like  bunches  of  small  fagots,  with  rope,  bow- 
strings and  withes — and  it  all  seemed  to  mock  us.     I 

261 


262  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

would  have  exchanged  my  precious  burden  on  the 
spot  for  a  loaf  of  wheaten  bread,  for  we  had  been 
on  half  rations  all  that  day,  and  there  was  scarce  a 
mouthful  left  apiece.  We  were  separated  by  leagues 
and  leagues  of  trackless  forest  from  our  supplies, 
with  a  raging  river  in  front,  and  an  angry  enemy  be- 
hind us  on  our  trail  —  besides,  I  could  fairly  smell 
the  fever  rising  from  the  swamps.  Things  were,  as 
friend  Hixon  had  once  remarked  before,  "  at  a  dule 
ebb  with  us."  To  save  my  life  I  could  think  of 
naught  that  could  be  done  —  it  was  a  hard  blow.  I 
had  been  thinking  of  England,  of  which  I  had  seen 
so  little,  and  heard  so  much ;  I  had  been  building  to 
myself  all  the  great  things  that  were  to  happen  when 
I  had  entered  into  mine  own  ;  how  my  Uncle  Alleyn 
should  share  with  me  equal  part  in  everything  I 
had ;  how  I  should  reward  Moone,  and  Minicy,  and 
the  rest  of  them  —  Roger  Truman  should  have  a 
tidy  coaster,  and  his  old  father,  Giles,  as  fine  a  span 
of  draught  horses  as  could  be  bought  for  money  — 
for,  to  my  foolish  mind,  to  be  an  English  baronet 
meant  to  command  all  wealth  untold.  Now  this 
dream  was  dashed,  and  something  my  Uncle  Al- 
leyn said  at  the  very  moment  sent  my  spirits  still 
lower,  for  it  betrayed  that,  to  his  thinking,  all  hope 
was  gone. 

"  My  dear  son,"  said   he,  in   his   paternal  way, 
coming  over  to  me,  "  if  in  after  years  you  reach 


The  Captain  Saves  Us  263 

home,  and  by  that  I  mean  English  soil,  make  your 
way  to  Temple  Court  in  London,  and  ask  for  one 
Edmund  Pattesworth,  a  barrister;  tell  him  thy  tale, 
show  him  this  ring  that  I  now  give  thee,  and  inform 
him  that  the  key  and  complement  of  the  paper  that 
he  holds — giving  the  warrants  and  title-deeds  —  will 
be  found  in  the  framing  of  the  portrait  of  thy  father, 
done  by  Holbein  and  now  at  Highcourt  on  the 
great  staircase ;  and  so  much  it  resembleth  thee — 
for  thy  father  was  but  little  older  at  the  time  'twas 
painted  —  that  any  court  would  uphold  thy  claim 
on  the  very  strength  of  it  alone.  Thou  hast  thy 
father's  brow,  and  eyes,  and  coloring,  and  with  a 
beard  to  thy  chin  might  pass  for  his  very  self  come 
back  to  life  —  'twas  this  resemblance  that  first  con- 
vinced me."  He  went  on  sorrowfully  —  "  When 
the  Spaniards  take  us,  I  shall  get  short  shrift;  and  I 
shall  be  glad  of  it,  for  never  will  I  wear  chains  again 
if  I  can  earn  death,  I  promise  thee." 

What  I  might  have  made  in  reply  to  this  speech 
my  uncle  never  knew,  for  just  then  the  Captain 
turned,  and  his  face  was  lit  by  the  same  fearless  smile 
he  always  wore  in  times  of  danger —  that  smile  that 
seemed  to  say,  "Ho!  this  is  nothing;  trust  to  me,  I 
will  fetch  ye  through  all  your  troubles,  my  children  ; 
fear  naught."  To  me  'twas  as  if  he  spoke  these 
very  words  as  I  looked  at  him.  But  what  his  lips 
did  say  was  as  follows  :  — 


264  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

"  List  to  me,  all  ye !  The  ships  are  rounding  yon- 
der headland,  and  from  the  set  of  their  canvas,  they 
are  not  cruising,  or  on  the  watch  for  us,  but  have 
come  a  long  way,  with  a  voyage  ahead."  He  turned 
again,  and  then  talked  to  us  as  he  kept  outlooking. 
"  See !  "  cried  he;  "the  foremost  squares  away !  My 
brave  lads,  our  vessels  are  not  taken,  or  we  would 
have  found  the  Spaniards  at  anchor  here  below 
us  ! 

We  had  risen  to  our  feet  and  saw  for  ourselves 
that  the  ships  were  standing  broad  off  the  land;  then 
the  wind  freshening  they  came  about  on  the  other 
tack,  and  the  headland  hid  them  from  sight.  But 
something  had  to  be  done.  There  was  no  use  wait- 
ing on  the  shore  for  the  river  to  run  dry,  and  the 
men's  minds  must  be  kept  busy  so  that  they  would 
not  fall  to  thinking  of  their  plight. 

The  swift  current  of  the  stream  was  filled  with 
drift-wood,  —  great  trunks  and  limbs  of  trees,  —  and 
under  the  Captain's  direction  many  of  them  were 
hauled  inshore,  where  the  water  was  scarce  up  to  a 
man's  middle.  The  Captain  kept  saying,  as  he  en- 
couraged us :  — 

"  Build  me  a  raft  that  will  float  me,  and  I  will  put 
out  and  fetch  in  the  pinnaces ;  for  by  the  Faith  I 
cherish  they  are  safe  somewhere  hidden  up  the 
coast.  Methinks  I  know  the  very  place,"  and  he 
described  it  to  us  as  if  he  could  see  the  missing  ves- 


The  Captain  Saves  Us  265 

sels,  promising  the  crews  a  raking  over  for  failing  to 
be  at  the  proper  rendezvous. 

After  four  hours*  work  a  floating  platform  had 
been  made  that  would  support  a  few  men,  and  a 
rough  steering  gear  added  by  which  it  could  be 
managed.  But  it  was  a  crazy  affair,  with  only  a 
biscuit  bag  for  a  sail,  and  it  appeared  like  to  come 
to  pieces  if  it  should  once  get  in  a  seaway.  Nothing 
daunted,  the  Captain  called  for  volunteers,  and  I  fain 
believe  that  he  could  have  had  all  of  us,  for  none  I 
saw  held  back.  I  begged  that  he  might  take  me, 
but  he  declared  he  wished  but  able  seamen,  as  there 
was  no  room  for  officers ;  so  he  chose  John  Smith, 
Diego,  and  two  Frenchmen,  and  we  pushed  the  frail 
craft  out  into  the  river.  Before  the  current  had 
swept  them  out  of  earshot  he  delivered  himself  of 
the  following  speech,  that  I  well  remember :  — 

"  An  it  please  God,**  said  he,  firmly,  "  that  I  put 
my  foot  safely  on  board  my  frigate,  I  will,  God  will- 
ing, by  one  means  or  other,  get  ye  all  aboard,  des- 
pite of  all  the  Spaniards  in  the  Indies.** 

We  gave  him  a  cheer,  and  watched  anxiously  as 
the  raft,  now  feeling  both  the  wind  and  stream,  swept 
down  to  the  river  mouth.  Ever  and  anon  the  waves 
would  wash  it  clean,  so  that  the  Captain  and  the  crew 
would  be  up  to  their  armpits,  and  once  or  twice  we 
thought  them  gone.  But  God  had  them  in  His  keep- 
ing, and  once  free  of  the  tide-rips  and  the  chop,  the 


266  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

raft  drifted  out  of  sight  to  the  northward,  and  after 
a  prayer  for  their  safety,  we  settled  down  to  waiting, 
much  more  content  and  mostly  hopeful.  In  my 
heart  I  felt  certain  that  Captain  Francis  would  re- 
turn. But  during  the  afternoon  a  great  wind  rose, 
with  much  rain ;  and,  soaked  to  the  bone,  hungry,  and 
disconsolate,  we  feared  the  approaching  night. 

But  rapture  filled  our  hearts  when  we  saw  (as  it 
was  just  light  enough  to  see)  the  two  pinnaces  beat- 
ing up  the  river,  and  we  knew  the  Captain  had  made 
good  his  word.  Even  the  worst  grumblers  now  be- 
gan to  aver  that  they  had  always  said  that  Drake 
would  win  us  out,  and  that  "never  once  had  they 
doubted," — and  much  more  of  the  Hke — so  that  it 
was  worth  smiling  at.  Great  was  the  welcome  the 
little  vessels  got  as  they  dropped  anchor  close  in- 
shore, and  great  was  the  joy  with  which  we  loaded 
them  down  with  our  heavy  burdens  that  from  being 
so  much  dross  had  turned  into  gold  and  silver  again. 
At  dawn  of  the  next  day  we  set  sail. 

The  tale  of  the  raft  voyage  I  got  from  Smith,  the 
armorer,  and  it  may  be  told  very  shortly.  For  three 
leagues  they  were  drenched  with  every  surge,  and 
like  to  die  of  thirst,  when  they  saw  the  pinnaces 
pounding  in  the  sea,  trying  to  beat  up  against  the 
wind  that  was  urging  the  raft  along.  Then  they 
saw  the  sails,  that  had  been  such  welcome  sights, 
turn  and  put  in  to  land.     So  the  raft  was  beached, 


The  Captain  Saves  Us  267 

and  in  the  doing  of  it,  the  Captain  plunged  into 
the  surf  after  one  of  the  Frenchmen  at  great  risk, 
else  he  would  have  drowned.  The  land  gained, 
they  pushed  to  the  north,  and  found  the  pinnaces 
close  in  at  anchor,  with  part  of  their  crews  on  the 
beach  gathered  about  a  fire.  And  Drake  here 
called  on  the  others  to  follow  him,  and  set  to 
running  toward  the  astonished  group  as  if  the 
Spaniards  were  at  his  back,  nor  did  he  answer  a 
question  put  to  him  until  they  were  all  on  board 
the  pinnaces  (thinking  the  rest  of  us  were  lost,  and 
in  great  fright) ;  then,  after  listening  to  the  expla- 
nation of  why  they  were  so  tardy,  and  rating  them 
soundly,  the  Captain  put  his  hand  into  his  doublet, 
and  bringing  forth  a  quoit  of  gold,  said,  "  Thank 
God,  now  lads  our  voyage  is  made,  and  safe  and 
sound  the  rest  are  waiting."  At  which  there  was 
such  great  rejoicing  that  the  sailors  would  have  em- 
braced him.  But  he,  taking  charge  of  the  vessels, 
ordered  up  anchor,  crowded  on  all  sail  and  made 
in,  as  I  have  told,  to  our  rescue. 

The  amount  of  our  booty,  added  to  our  weight, 
loaded  the  pinnaces  down  well  in  the  water,  and  we 
were  glad  to  find  the  frigate,  and  with  her  we  passed 
unmolested  up  the  coast  to  the  place  where  we  had 
left  the  ships  in  hiding.  There  we  found  them,  and 
right  glad  were  the  crews  to  see  us,  and  their  eyes 
bulged  as  they  saw  the  treasures  we  had  to  show. 


268  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

On  the  deck  of  the  French  ship  the  profits  were 
divided,  and  strange  to  say  there  was  no  complain- 
ing. Gold  and  silver  meant  very  little  to  Pedro, 
the  Maroon  —  he  had  not  included  them  in  his 
idolatry ;  so  Drake  gave  to  him  the  old  Pacha^  and 
transferred  his  flag  and  belongings  to  the  frigate. 
He  also  gave  to  Pedro  a  carved  jewelled  sword 
that  had  been  given  him  by  the  unfortunate  Le 
Testu,  who  said  he  had  it  of  Admiral  Coligny,  who 
was  killed  in  the  massacre,  as  we  all  remember. 

But  do  not  think  that  our  Captain  was  one  to 
abandon  a  distressed  companion  while  there  was  a 
chance  to  succor  him.  No,  no  !  he  was  hot  for  lead- 
ing a  party,  and  with  all  our  force  retracing  our  trail 
until  we  had  found  the  wounded  Frenchman  and 
his  faithful  sailors,  and  incidentally  gathered  in  the 
buried  treasures  we  had  left  in  the  forest. 

But  it  was  judged  that  he  had  already  exposed 
himself  too  much,  and  at  a  meeting  it  was  petitioned 
that  Oxenham  should  lead  the  party  and  the  Captain 
stay  for  once  on  board  the  ship. 

I  went  with  the  ones  who  landed,  and  not  a  sign 
of  life  did  we  see  (we  would  have  lost  ourselves  but 
for  Diego,  the  trail  was  so  overgrown)  until  we 
heard  a  cry  from  a  tree,  and  looking  up,  found 
one  of  the  Frenchmen.  He  had  a  sorry  tale  to 
tell.  Le  Testu  and  his  companion  had  been  taken 
prisoners,  and  he  had  scarcely  escaped  with  his  life. 


The  Captain  Saves  Us  269 

We  looked  for  the  hidden  plunder,  but  our  pond  had 
been  fished ;  the  Spaniards  had  been  beforehand  with 
us,  and  we  could  recover  but  thirteen  bars  of  silver 
and  seven  quoits  of  gold.  Back  to  the  ship  we  went 
and  told  how  the  ground  had  been  digged  up,  and  how 
'twas  a  wonder  that  the  Dons  had  missed  anything. 
So  there  was  nothing  to  do  now,  but  to  sail  for 
home !  We  were  rich  men  !  Not  a  common  sea 
scullion  but  could  afford  a  ring  to  his  finger  and  a 
twelfth  month  idling  ashore  if  he  chose ;  and  as  for 
the  young  gentlemen  adventurers,  those  who  were 
left,  they  had  more  than  enow  to  pay  their  debts, 
and  had  gained  a  credit  that  might  last  a  Hfetime. 
No  one  talked  of  aught  else  but  England  now, 
and  it  was  to  our  surprise  we  found  that  the  Captain 
had  determined  on  one  more  venture.  Nothing 
more  nor  less  than  to  exchange  our  frigate  for  a 
larger  one,  or  capture  one  for  a  consort,  and  to 
shake  off  the  French  vessel  that  clung  to  us  like  a 
leech.  So,  willy-nilly,  with  all  sail  set  and  pennants 
and  ancients  all  flying  in  the  wind,  —  a  great  Cross 
of  St.  George  rolling  at  our  masthead,  —  did  we  put 
into  the  mouth  of  the  Magdalena  River,  and  we 
held  on  past  Cartagena,  within  plain  sight  of  the 
tov/n,  and  so  close  that  we  could  see  the  crowds  on 
the  water's  edge.  But  no  vessel  came  out  to  do  us 
battle,  and  out  again  we  went,  and  at  the  river  mouth 
we  ran  across  a  frigate  much  larger  than  our  own. 


270  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

So  then,  Drake,  on  seeing  her,  exclaimed  aloud  in 
his  joy,  saying  she  was  "  a  gift  from  Heaven."  But 
not  a  gift,  properly  speaking ;  for  she  outnumbered 
us  in  men  and  firearms,  and  did  not  give  over 
without  a  fight.  Such  was  our  marvellous  fortune, 
however,  that,  owing  to  the  bursting  of  a  Spanish 
demi-cannon,  the  crew  became  confused,  and  led  by 
the  Captain  and  Minicy,  we  boarded  and  took  her 
without  loss  of  life,  having  but  four  men  wounded. 
We  sent  the  prisoners  into  Cartagena  in  their  shal- 
lops, and  with  our  prize  made  for  one  of  our  hidden 
coves,  where  we  shifted  cargoes  and  revictualled  her. 
Drake  gave  the  faithful  pinnaces  to  Pedro. 

Then  off  at  last  for  merry  England,  our  two 
vessels  ballasted  with  gold  and  silver,  and  our 
hearts  with  feathers.  It  took  us  but  twenty-three 
days'  sailing  (the  finest  weather  one  could  wish  for) 
after  taking  a  departure  from  the  Cape  of  Florida 
until  we  sighted  the  Isles  of  Scilly.  Sunday,  the 
ninth  day  of  August,  dawned  fair  and  clear,  and  off 
over  lee  bow  was  Plymouth  Hoe.  Seventy-three 
men  had  sailed  out  but  little  above  a  year  ago ; 
thirty  now  returned.  As  we  entered  the  harbor  we 
could  hear  the  bells  summoning  the  folk  to  church, 
and  down  on  the  deck  we  knelt  and  gave  thanks 
to  God.  Our  voyage  was  made,  and  on  this  account 
the  lives  of  many  of  us  were  to  undergo  great 
changes. 


**  We  boarded  and  took  her. 


CHAPTER   XXVII 

THE    PARTING    OF    THE    COMPANY 


lONDAY  morning  we  were  gathered  about 
a  table  in  the  big  guest  room  of  "  The 
Bell    and    Anchor,"    talking    over    the 

'  doings  of  the  day  before,  and  reviewing 

the  happenings  of  the  year  gone  by,  as  if  it  were  a 
time  far  remote,  belonging  to  another  life  and  age. 
Surely  surroundings  separate  us  from  the  past  more 
than  do  long  years,  and  from  the  midst  of  strange 
places  we  can  see  ourselves  in  our  past  actions  with- 
out being  hampered  by  the  nearness  of  familiar 
scenes.  There  were  missing  from  the  group,  that 
had  met  there  on  the  first  occasion  (when  Mr.  Bland- 
ford  had  presented  me),  but  Drake's  two  brothers, 
who  lay  near  one  another  in  the  far-distant  grave- 
yard on  the  hillside.  But  now  the  Captain,  Ellis 
Hixon,  Fletcher,  and  Nichols,  Oxenham,  Ceely, 
my  Uncle  Alleyn,  and  myself,  were  grouped  about 
the  board,  and  at  the  head  sat  none  less  than  my 
old  friend  and  patron,  who  had  chanced  to  be  in 
Plymouth  on  a  visit  at  the  time  of  our  arrival. 
Mr.  Blandford  was  telling  us  how  the  news  of 
271 


272  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

Drake  being  in  harbor  had  reached  the  churches  on 
the  yesternoon,  and  how  the  congregations  had  left 
their  prayers,  and  one  minister  cut  short  his  exhort- 
ing, to  rush  to  the  water  front  to  bid  us  welcome 
home.  Truly  it  had  been  a  strange  sight,  and  in 
many  ways  a  sad  one,  for  we  had  brought  back  with 
us  a  list  of  our  forty  dead,  and  most  of  them  hailed 
from  Plymouth  town.  There  were  widows  and 
orphans,  childless  parents,  and  many  broken-hearted 
lasses  who  heard  the  news,  but  the  grief  of  these 
had  been  swallowed  up  in  the  rejoicing  of  the  friends 
of  those  who  had  returned.  The  news  of  our  wealth 
had  been  so  multiphed  that  nothing  there  was  in  the 
town  that  we  might  not  have  had  for  the  asking. 
And  as  success  will  have  its  own  success,  our  fel- 
lows owned  the  streets  and  tap-rooms,  and  from 
below  us,  as  we  sat  there  in  the  tavern,  we  could 
hear  the  sound  of  a  great  carousing  and  the  roaring 
of  a  lusty  sea  chorus  led  by  the  voice  of  Smith  the 
armorer. 

"Thy  lads  possess  the  place,  Captain  Francis," 
laughed  Mr.  Blandford,  "  and  I  doubt  not  that  if 
you  wished  it,  a  fleet  could  be  manned  from  this 
port  that  would  leave  no  shipping  in  the  harbor, 
provided  that  thou  wouldst  take  command  and  start 
for  the  Spanish  Main  again.  If  our  Spanish  cousins 
would  so  allow  you,"  he  added. 

Captain  Drake  half  smiled  and  lifted  his  shoul- 


The  Parting  of  the  Company  273 

ders.  There  had  been  some  news  told  him,  that 
was  not  entirely  comforting,  about  the  doings  at 
court,  and  he  turned  to  the  subject  that  was  in  his 
mind. 

"  So  the  Spanish  Minister  has  complained  of  me," 
he  said,  "  and  the  Queen  listens  ?  'Tis  a  strange 
world,  and  in  royal  circles  it  beseemeth  best  never 
to  let  one  hand  know  what  the  other  doeth.  I 
should  not  be  surprised  if  I  should  soon  be  quar- 
tered at  the  Tower,  and  I  can  well  imagine  that 
Xing  Philip  would  admire  to  whistle  the  march  to 
which  I  might  walk  to  the  block.  I  am  not  anxious 
for  a  martyrdom,  my  masters,  nor  do  I  wish  to  see 
our  treasures  turned  back  into  the  coffers  of  His 
Catholic  Majesty.  Therefore  I  crave  that  this  very 
day  the  shareholders  hold  meeting,  and  profits  be 
divided,  and  I  wot  not  but  some  of  it  will  show  at 
Windsor  Castle  in  a  jewel  or  two."  ('Twas  an  open 
secret  that  some  court  pin  money  had  found  its  way 
into  our  expedition.)  "  However,"  Drake  went  on, 
"  I  know  of  a  place  where  I  can  rest  and  take  mine 
ease  in  safety,  and  as  for  the  rest  of  you,  no  harm 
will  come  nigh  you.  'Tis  against  me  alone  that  the 
Spaniards  treasure  ill.  Now  mark  me,  my  good 
friends,  while  I  say  that  which  is  neither  threat  nor 
boasting :  Some  day  I  will  singe  the  beard  of  the 
King  of  Spain  in  a  right  lawful  fashion.  I  will  have 
him  on  his  knees,  night  and  morning,  invoking  all 


274  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

his  saints  to  work  my  destruction.  He  says  that  I 
have  been  a  thorn  in  his  royal  flesh,  but  I  will  prove 
a  twisting  blade  in  his  vitals  some  day.  —  Please  God 
that  we  will  all  live  to  see  it.  —  And  I  pledge  the 
hope  it  cometh  soon." 

At  this  moment  there  was  a  loud  cheer  from 
below  stairs,  as  if  our  hardy  mariners  in  the  tap- 
room had  heard  his  very  words,  and  had  set  the 
rafters  ringing  with  approval. 

"  Thy  bold  fellows  are  with  thee.  Captain  ! 
Hearken  to  that ! "  laughed  Mr.  Blandford.  Then 
he  turned  to  me  and  spoke  in  a  low  tone.  "  What 
Captain  Francis  says  is  right.  I  doubt  not  but  that 
he  will  soon  be  forced  into  hiding,  for  the  Queen's 
counsellors  seem  set  on  making  a  friendly  feeling 
between  our  court  and  that  of  Spain.  King  Philip 
is  sore  and  exceeding  wroth  against  Drake  and  the 
rest  who  have  cast  their  net  in  his  waters.  But 
sooner  or  later  we  will  be  at  war,  as  the  Captain 
hath  said,  for  this  false  state  of  things  cannot  last 
long,  and  is  unreasonable." 

This  speech  set  my  Uncle  Alleyn  off  with  a  slam 
of  his  great  fist  on  the  table,  and  soon  no  one  else 
could  make  himself  heard  or  listened  to,  such  a  roar 
of  imprecations  and  bitter  words  fell  from  my  uncle's 
lips.  Poor  man,  he  was  the  gentlest,  softest-hearted 
creature  on  earth,  but  a  flaunt  of  the  flag  of  Spain, 
and  he  craved  blood.     We  sat  and  listened,  and  I 


The  Parting  of  the  Company  275 

fear  some  smiled.  Mr.  Blandford  was  aghast  at  the 
storm  that  he  had  set  loose,  but  Drake,  as  was  usual 
with  him,  took  command  of  affairs. 

"Wilt  thou  plead  my  cause  from  Temple  Bar, 
Master  Maunsell  ?  "  he  asked.  "  I  owe  thee  thanks, 
for  I  could  not  speak  thus  without  losing  my  temper 
or  my  head,  and  so  I  pledge  thee.  For  in  all  sin- 
cerity thy  words  are  true." 

Now  my  uncle  was  a  modest  man,  and  praise  he 
could  not  stand,  so  he  quieted  down,  saying  that  he 
was  neither  orator  nor  pleader,  but  one  who  on 
occasion  voiced  his  thoughts. 

"And  those  of  all  this  company,"  added  Drake. 
"  So  fill  your  cups,  my  masters,  and  we  drink  con- 
fusion to  England*s  enemies." 

After  all  were  seated,  Mr.  Blandford  asked  me  of 
my  plans,  and  I  told  him  that  I  was  going  first  to 
Portsmouth  with  Roger  Truman  to  see  my  old 
friends,  his  parents,  and  then  I  told  him  of  my 
plans  and  prospects,  and  that  my  uncle  was  going 
to  be  my  sponsor,  and  that  our  hopes  ran  high. 
Mr.  Blandford  related  to  the  company  how  he  had 
found  me  sitting  on  Portsmouth  quay  so  desolate, 
and  I  told  of  my  adventure  with  the  cross-grained 
landlord,  and  how  he  had  treated  me. 

"  Surely  thou  hast  brought  mine  host  something 
from  the  Spanish  Main,"  laughed  Mr.  Blandford 
when  I  described  how  I  had  vowed  to  pay  him  back. 


276  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

"  Yes,"  said  I,  "  that  I  have  —  a  pair  of  boots, 
and  I  shall  present  them  to  him  without  removing 
them." 

"  Good ! "  cried  my  uncle.  "  Grant  I  shall  be 
there  to  witness  the  presentation." 

The  meeting  was  here  broken  in  upon  by  a  faint 
knocking  on  the  door,  and  when  it  was  opened 
there  stood  Robert  Minicy  —  and  it  was  the  first 
time  that  honest  Rob  was  ever  frightened,  I  am  sure. 
He  twisted  his  cap  in  his  hands  and  looked,  for 
all  the  world,  like  a  poacher  brought  before  a 
magistrate. 

"  Captain  Drake  and  gentlemen,"  quoth  he  at 
last,  his  glib  tongue  faltering.  "The  men  below 
have  made  me  the  bearer  of  a  message,  a  request, 
and  if  I  be  too  bold,  forgive  me.  I  am  in  hope  that 
the  Captain  will  be  gracious." 

"  What  is  it,  lad  ?     Speak  out,"  said  Drake. 

"Would  you  honor  us  by  stepping  below,  sir, 
and  saying  a  few  words  to  us  that  are  gathered 
there  ?  "  replied  Minicy,  gaining  boldness.  "  'Tis 
the  whole  company,  sir,  met  for  a  purpose,  and  your 
presence  is  most  humbly  asked." 

"  Certes,"  said  Drake.  "  These  gentlemen  will 
come  with  me." 

So  downstairs  we  went,  and,  to  our  surprise,  found 
the  lower  floor  filled  with  our  fellow-adventurers. 
They  greeted  us  with  cheers,  and  Drake  was  about 


The  Parting  of  the  Company  277 

to  step  forward  and  begin  to  make  his  address,  when 
he  saw  that  Thomas  Moone,  the  carpenter,  was  stand- 
ing on  a  bench,  waving  to  the  rest  to  be  silent. 
As  soon  as  the  noise  ceased  (there  was  none  who 
seemed  the  worse  for  liquor),  Moone  went  on  and 
spoke. 

"The  men  whom  Captain  Drake  brought  back 
with  him,"  he  began,  "are  here  gathered  to  do  him 
honor.  We  have  formed  a  guild,  and  do  now 
declare  that  we  shall  be  called  '  Drake's  Yeomen,* 
and  should  the  Captain  desire  the  services  of  me 
or  all,  he  has  but  to  pass  the  word,  and  we  will 
follow  him  into  battle,  exile,  or  prison,  for  we  have 
heard  the  words  that  are  on  the  gossips'  tongues. 
And,  furthermore,  all  our  share  of  profits  from  our 
voyage  we  place  at  his  disposal  should  he  have  need 
of  such ;  and  in  these  words  I  have  expressed  the 
hearty  will  of  all. — Have  I  not,  lads  ?  "  He  finished, 
and  a  second  great  cheer  rose. 

We  all  looked  at  Captain  Francis.  His  eyes 
were  swimming  and  his  voice  was  a-tremble  with  the 
depth  of  his  feeling. 

"  Brave  lads  and  followers,  my  gallant  yeomen.  I 
am  grateful  to  ye  all ;  I  can  but  thank  ye.  Should 
there  a  time  come  when  I  again  have  a  deck  'neath 
my  feet  and  a  venture  over  the  bows,  be  it  a  quest 
for  gold  or  glory,  may  ye  be  with  me  then.  Some 
heard  my  vow  when  my  eyes  first  rested  on  the 


278  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

great  western  ocean.  Again  here  I  repeat  it ;  God 
willing,  I  will  sail  there  'neath  the  Cross  of  Saint 
George,  and  God  grant  ye  will  be  with  me." 

It  was  a  short  speech,  but  the  words  sank  deep  in 
my  heart  as  they  did  in  every  one's,  and  it  was 
Drake's  farewell  in  a  measure,  for  he  did  not  address 
us  at  any  length  thereafter. 

When  the  division  had  been  made,  I  was  sur- 
prised and  dazed  at  that  amount  which  fell  to  me. 
But  what  gave  me  greater  joy  was  the  fact  that  the 
Captain  took  me  by  the  hand  as  my  uncle  and  I 
went  over  the  vessel's  side,  and  told  me  that  in  his 
house,  or  on  his  ship,  there  would  always  be  a  place 
for  me. 

"  I  think,  lad,"  said  Francis  Drake,  "  the  sea  has 
bewitched  thee,  and  that  though  thy  acres  may  be 
broad  and  the  Queen  make  a  lord  of  thee,  some  day 
thou  wilt  be  sailing  again." 

"Then  may  I  sail  with  thee  as  captain,"  I  re- 
plied ;  "  count  me  one  of  thy  yeomen,  and  shouldst 
thou  need  me,  —  send." 

With  that  we  parted,  and  it  was  many  a  long 
year  before  again  I  heard  the  Captain's  trumpet 
voice  giving  his  orders  or  saw  his  eye  alight  at  the 
nearness  of  tall  fighting.  But  when  I  did  see  such 
again  'twas  a  picture  that  will  be  a  life  memory — 
but  of  all  that  more  anon. 


The  Parting  of  the  Company  279 

We  stopped  at  Portsmouth  —  my  uncle  and  I 
taking  passage  with  Roger  Truman  and  Mr.  Bland- 
ford  in  one  of  the  latter*s  coasting-vessels,  and  my 
desire  to  stop  there  proved  to  be  one  of  the  best 
gifts  of  good  fortune  that  I  can  reckon  in  my  life. 
I  had  spent  a  day  and  a  night  with  the  Trumans 
and  left  Roger  to  comfort  them  (trusting  that  Giles 
soon  trounced  some  of  the  airs  and  graces  out  of 
him,  but  the  lad  was  young).  And  I  had  paid  my 
debt  to  the  landlord  and  refreshed  his  memory  by 
repeating  his  own  words  with  slight  changes,  de- 
livering my  present  to  him  with  the  saying :  "  That 
for  thee,  from  Sir  Matthew  Maunsell,"  and  I  trust 
it  was  a  lesson  to  him  in  courtesy. 

But  —  and  it  seemeth  wonderful  that  I  have  not 
plumped  out  with  it  before  —  the  bit  of  good  for- 
tune was  my  finding  of  no  less  a  person  than 
Martha  Warrell  —  poor  Martha,  grown  fairly  gray 
with  worry,  had  come  hither  from  London  as  soon 
as  she  had  found  the  deception  that  my  aunt  had 
put  upon  her,  for  Lady  Katharine  had  told  her  that 
I  was  already  on  board  the  vessel  to  which  I  had 
watched  them  row  from  the  shore  on  that  unhappy 
day. 

Martha  now  kept  a  small  stand  and  sold  pasties 
to  the  sailors  on  the  wharves,  and  there  she  was, 
neat  as  a  bodkin,  dealing  out  a  brown  pasty  to  a 
knotty-faced  old  sailor,  who  stowed  it  away  as  if 


28o  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

it  were  the  last  one  out  o*  port.  When  the  good 
woman  heard  me  call  her  name  and  saw  me,  she 
turned  deathly  white,  and  then  with  a  jump  she 
upset  her  stand,  almost  capsized  her  customer,  and 
there  we  were  in  each  other*s  arms  ! 

That  very  afternoon  we  were  all  off  for  London, 
as  my  Uncle  Alleyn  was  anxious  to  hear  what  Mr. 
Pattesworth,  the  lawyer,  would  have  to  say  when 
he  heard  my  story  and  Martha's.  Of  all  unselfish 
people  I  can  say  that  my  uncle  was  the  most  gifted 
in  self-forgetfulness.  To  his  companionship,  coun- 
sel, and  watchfulness  I  owe  more  than  I  ever  re- 
paid, I  fear. 

But  now  for  a  hurried  passing  over  of  things  that 
though  of  interest  to  me,  concern  myself  alone,  and 
are  of  no  moment  to  any  one  else.  So  the  next 
chapter  will  but  chronicle  a  great  leap  of  time  and 
tell  of  how  once  more  I  took  up  the  threads  of  my 
early  life. 


CHAPTER   XXVIII 

TIME    PASSES 


T  seems  a  far  cry  back  to  the  old  ma- 
rauding days  in  the  Spanish  Main ;  I 
can   scarce    believe    that  it  was  I   ("the 

'  lank  callow  youth")  who   survived   the 

fights  and  lived  through  the  adversities.  Verily  it  is 
a  long  leap  that  I  have  taken  in  my  story  !  So  many 
things  have  happened  that  I  am  near  to  despairing 
of  ever  shortening  them  into  the  compass  of  a  few 
words.  I  almost  fear  to  take  up  my  pen  lest  it  run 
away  with  me  and  lead  me  to  gossip  of  myself  and 
my  surroundings  at  such  great  length  that  it  would 
be  wearisome  indeed  for  a  reader  to  attempt  to  fol- 
low me.  But  let  me  try  to  weave  a  seam  that  will 
connect  all  that  has  gone  before  with  what  there  is 
to  follow.  And  so  I  make  haste  to  plunge  once 
more  into  the  middle  of  my  story. 

It  is  the  year  1587  and  early  in  the  month  of 
April.  A  dreary  winter  it  had  been,  with  much  snow 
and  bad  weather,  and  there  was  great  suffering 
among  the  poor  people  in  town  and  country.  I 
had  been,  most  of  the  time,  in  London,  and  if  I  say 

28X 


282  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

It  myself,  who  should  not,  had  made  somewhat  of  a 
success  at  court.  This  was  not  due  to  any  natural 
gifts  that  I  might  have  possessed,  but  began  through 
the  influence  of  my  old  Captain,  who  was  now  Sir 
Francis,  knighted  on  the  deck  of  his  own  vessel  by 
Her  Majesty*s  gracious  order.  Well  indeed  do  I 
remember  the  day  when  the  Golden  Hind  was  warped 
up  the  river  and  lay  between  the  crowded  banks  off 
the  water  gate  of  the  Tower.  A  brilliant  picture 
the  scene  made,  with  the  crowding  boats  bedecked 
in  colors  and  streamers  and  the  people  shouting 
with  one  great  voice  as  the  Queen  put  out  from 
shore  in  her  golden  barge  and  made  the  vessel  side. 
Never  had  I  thought  our  leader  a  graceful  man,  but 
he  bowed  with  the  courtliness  of  one  used  to  such 
gatherings  and  proceedings,  and  the  Queen  turning 
to  Marchaumont  asked  him  to  give  the  accolade, 
and  this  the  French  courtier  did.  With  Drake^s  own 
sword  he  touched  him  between  the  shoulders,  and 
our  Captain  rose  "  Sir  Francis,"  but  unchanged  for 
all  of  his  title,  and  the  same  bold  seaman  that  he 
had  ever  been,  as  he  was  to  prove  ere  many  years. 
I  had  not  been  on  the  wonderful  voyage  around 
the  globe  when  Captain  Drake  had  redeemed  his 
vow  and  ploughed  the  western  ocean  with  an  English 
keel ;  for  the  fact  was,  that  it  was  just  at  this  time 
that  I  was  coming  of  age,  and  it  was  necessary  that 
I  should  be  in  England  to  undertake  the  care  of  the 


Time  Passes  283 

estates  which  are  now  mine  at  this  writing.  But 
alas  !  for  my  dreams  of  wealth,  the  lands  were  much 
impoverished,  the  old  keep  at  Highcourt  was 
almost  crumbling  to  ruins,  and  the  tenants  had  so 
long  held  possession  of  the  outlying  farms  that  it 
was  not  without  difficulty  that  I  could  prove  title. 
In  order  to  avoid  trouble  and  to  save  myself  the 
reputation  of  being  a  hard  man,  I  had  remitted  all 
arrears  of  rents,  and  though,  at  last,  I  had  broad 
acres  enough  to  ride  across  and  call  mine  own,  it 
was  years  before  I  received  return  more  than  suffi- 
cient to  keep  and  clothe  me  and  to  support  a  small 
household  that  consisted  of  my  Uncle  Alleyn, 
Martha  Warrell,  and  a  few  old  servitors  who  had 
known  my  father. 

My  uncle,  kind,  faithful  friend  that  he  was  to  me, 
had  been  ailing  and  in  bad  health  since  our  return 
from  the  Indies,  yet  he  would  have  started  with 
Drake  and  his  adventurers  when  they  sailed  out 
toward  the  setting  sun  bound  for  the  great  unknown, 
and  we  may  say  little  fearing  it.  I  can  remember 
this  day  also,  for  I  had  gone  to  Plymouth  with  my 
uncle,  and  there  we  had  gathered  almost  the  same 
company  that  before  had  sat  about  the  board  at "  The 
Bell  and  Anchor.**  Of  course  there  were  others  who 
were  strangers  to  me,  but  Ceely  and  Fletcher,  Mr. 
Blandford  (hale  and  hearty  and  fourscore)  and 
Thomas  Moone,  were  there  (honest  Thomas  had 


284  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

now  been  promoted,  and  commanded  a  ship  of  his 
own,  the  smallest  one  of  the  fleet).  And  as  the  time 
for  parting  drew  near,  I  would  fain  have  stowed  my- 
self away  in  one  of  the  vesseFs  holds  and  bartered 
my  inheritance  for  the  mere  chance  of  sharing  in  the 
ventures.  But  Drake  would  hear  none  of  it,  nor, 
on  account  of  my  uncle's  health  (he  had  a  continu- 
ous hacking  cough  that  troubled  him),  would  he 
allow  him  to  be  one  of  the  company,  although  the 
old  gentleman  recalled  to  him  the  compact  of  the 
Guild,  and  claimed  that  as  one  of  the  yeomen,  he 
should  not  be  denied;  but,  as  I  say,  they  sailed  with- 
out us,  and  I  can  see  them  now,  the  fair  wind  waft- 
ing them  out,  the  flagship  leading,  —  a  fine  sight  with 
her  painted  galleries,  —  and  the  red  Cross  of  St. 
George  on  her  great  mainsail. 

It  was  at  Plymouth  that  I  had  first  met  Thomas 
Doughty,  and  I  can  frankly  state  that  this  man  had 
not  impressed  me,  except  as  a  glib-tongued  person, 
whose  delightful  manners  and  graceful  speech  cov- 
ered a  sly  nature  and  a  deceitful  heart.  It  is  not 
here  place  for  me  to  touch  upon  the  troubles  that 
this  man  brought  upon  the  company  from  the  out- 
set, nor  is  it  meet  that  I  should  express  opinion  as 
to  the  fate  that  he  met  with  being  his  just  deserts  or 
not ;  'tis  all  a  matter  of  public  record,  and  can  be 
read  there.  It  seems  to  me  that  Drake  hath  made 
a  right  proper  defence  for  his  behavior,  and  thus  I 


Time  Passes  285 

leave  it.  But  'tis  passing  my  judgment  how  the 
Captain,  usually  so  keen  in  reading  the  minds  and 
hearts  of  men,  had  let  this  one  so  deceive  him.  But 
if  I  do  not  take  care,  I  shall  be  working  myself  into 
a  controversy,  and  as  my  opinions  are  worth  noth- 
ing, it  would  be  wasting  time. 

After  the  rendering  of  the  verdict  by  the  Court 
of  Chancery  in  my  favor,  I  returned  to  Northamp- 
tonshire and  entered  into  possession.  My  uncle 
was  in  high  dudgeon  over  the  way  affairs  had  been 
mismanaged,  for  Highcourt,  in  the  days  of  Queen 
Mary,  had  been  a  show  place  worth  travelling  to 
see ;  now  the  gardens  were  overrun  with  weeds,  the 
great  hall  reeked  with  dampness  and  decay,  and,  sad 
to  relate,  many  valued  articles  of  furniture  and  such 
like,  were  missing  from  the  places  in  which  my  uncle 
had  remembered  leaving  them.  But  the  old  por- 
trait had  been  found  upon  the  staircase,  and  it  had 
played  a  part  of  some  importance  in  the  trial,  for,  as 
my  Uncle  Alleyn  said ;  now  that  I  had  a  beard  to 
my  chin  I  might  have  sat  for  it  myself,  and  my 
resemblance  to  my  father  had  been  so  strong,  that 
many  of  the  old  people  who  remembered  him,  had 
cried  out  upon  first  seeing  me,  as  if  I  were  a  ghost, 
or  he  himself  restored  to  earth  again. 

As  time  went  on,  and  there  came  no  news  of  the 
vessels  that  had  followed  in  the  track  of  Magellan, 
people  *gan  to  despair  of  ever  seeing  Drake  or  his 


286  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

yeomen  again.  Thomas  Moone's  ship  had  returned, 
and  the  tales  which  he  had  brought  of  head  winds, 
storms,  and  wreck,  ere  they  had  fairly  started,  did 
not  bring  comfort  to  the  Captain's  friends,  but  I 
knew  and  felt  an  assurance  in  my  heart  that  some 
day  the  good  people  of  Plymouth  would  awaken  to 
find  Drake  lying  at  anchor  in  the  harbor;  and  though 
I  held  to  these  opinions,  as  the  months  grew  into 
years,  I  could  find  none  to  hope  with  me.  But  one 
day  it  all  came  true,  as  is  a  matter  of  history,  and 
Drake  returned  with  such  a  tale  to  tell  that  even 
the  wildest  imaginings  could  not  outdo  it,  and  I 
speak  true  when  1  say  that  I  would  give  five  years 
of  what  remains  to  me  of  life,  to  have  lived  and 
gone  through  with  their  adventures  ;  not  for  the  rea- 
son that  they  returned  laden  with  spoil  and  riches 
past  all  reckoning,  but  for  the  satisfaction  it  would 
have  been  to  have  had  crowded  into  one's  existence 
the  memory  of  those  pulsing  days.  It  would  fill  a 
book  and  be  a  diflferent  story  to  tell  the  whole  of  the 
affair  or  even  to  recount  what  had  happened  during 
their  absence.  The  chronicle  of  their  voyage  has 
been  written  and  printed,  but  Drake  had  found  things 
to  be  in  much  the  same  position  that  they  were  when 
he  had  returned  from  his  first  voyage.  The  court 
was  in  a  turmoil  of  intrigue.  My  Lord  Burghley, 
honest  and  great  man,  though  he  ever  was,  was  not 
entirely  above  it,  as  is  shown  plainly  in  his  efforts 


Time  Passes  287 

to  disrupt  the  expedition,  and  in  his  dealings  with 
the  aforesaid  Doughty,  who  was  but  his  tool  to  my 
mind.  Our  good  Queen  had  no  easy  hand  to  play; 
for  though  bound  at  the  time  with  the  policy  of  the 
Prime  Minister,  who  was,  as  usual,  anxious  to  avoid 
an  open  war  with  Spain,  she  could  not  yet  be  forget- 
ful of  the  promises  of  support  she  had  made  to 
Drake,  nor  heedless  of  the  fact  that  it  was  in  a  meas- 
ure due  to  her  effort  and  her  money  that  the  raids 
and  the  voyages  had  been  successful.  So  it  was  in 
part  her  profits  that  filled  the  holds  of  the  vessels 
that  had  carried  the  first  Englishmen  around  the 
world.  I  say  this  because  it  was  to  all  intents 
openly  avowed  by  her  when  she  welcomed  Drake 
at  London  and  made  a  knight  of  him. 

It  was  my  great  sorrow  that  my  uncle  had  not 
lived  to  be  a  witness  to  this  ceremony,  but  he  had 
died  a  week  after  the  announcement  of  Drake's 
safe  return,  and  in  his  death  I  suffered  a  great  loss, 
and  I  found  many  to  grieve  with  me  —  God  rest 
him  for  a  kind  unselfish  friend ! 

From  Drake's  own  lips  did  I  hear  the  story  that 
his  nephew  has  so  well  recorded  in  his  book  yclept 
"  Sir  Francis  Drake  Revived,"  and  in  the  recount- 
ing I  learned  of  the  fate  of  Diego  and  Robert  Min- 
icy,  —  how  the  first  had  suflFered  death  by  the  arrows 
of  the  savage  islanders  and  how  the  latter  had  died 
fighting  a  squadron  of  Spanish  horse,  singlehanded, 


288  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

—  by  all  the  Powers  !  — when  he  might  have  escaped 
had  he  chose  to  run,  but  forsooth,  *twas  not  Robert's 
way  of  doing  things.  He  had  ever  chosen  to  show 
his  sword's  point  rather  than  his  heels. 

Drake  was  a  wealthy  man  now  and  held  great  in- 
fluence. He  numbered  among  his  friends  the  most 
powerful  of  all  the  younger  set  that  had  gathered 
themselves  at  court.  He  had  but  to  whistle  and 
he  could  have  had  about  him  gallant  swords  and 
great  fortunes  at  any  time,  and  when  it  was  again 
whispered  that  he  was  at  the  back  of  an  expedition 
being  formed,  intended  to  proceed  on  a  peaceful 
mission  to  support  the  claims  of  English  merchants, 
he  could  have  taken  an  army  with  him.  It  was 
known  that  all  talk  of  a  short  cruise  in  the  Bay  of 
Biscay  or  the  eastern  waters  was  but  a  subterfuge, 
and  meant  another  forage  into  King  Philip's  pos- 
session in  the  west,  for  it  was  being  organized  at 
about  the  time  the  plate  fleet  would  set  sail  for 
Spain.  None  less  than  my  friend  Sir  Philip  Sidney 
(the  best  and  bravest)  offered  himself,  and  as  at  this 
time  I  was  pledged  to  him  and  his  fortune,  —  for  he 
and  I  grew  dear  to  one  another,  —  I  urged  him  on. 
Drake  would  have  welcomed  me,  I  know,  and 
would  have  been  glad  of  my  company,  but  Sir 
Philip's  rank  in  England,  and  the  position  he  had 
taken,  precluded  all  idea  of  obtaining  the  Queen's 
permission,  so   we  were   both    stopped   and   called 


Time  Passes  289 

back  to  London  by  royal  command,  on  the  very  eve 
of  Sir  Francis's  sailing.  And  this  voyage,  too,  is  a 
matter  of  history,  and  recorded  in  prose  and  verse. 
'Twas  a  strange  condition  of  affairs — that  without 
being  at  open  war,  an  English  fleet  could  capture 
and  hold  for  ransom  all  the  points  that  Spain  then 
held  in  the  New  World,  for  Drake  took  in  succes- 
sion Santiago  and  Cartagena,  and  many  places  of 
minor  importance,  and  had  it  not  been  for  the  fevers 
that  decimated  his  forces,  he  would  have  taken 
Havana,  and  this  done,  it  would  have  meant  fare- 
well to  the  vaunted  Spanish  influence. 

When  he  returned  this  time  to  England,  it  had 
begun  to  look  as  if  the  continued  singeing  of  the 
royal  beard  had  at  last  aroused  the  royal  mind  to 
a  point  of  action.  King  Philip's  remonstrances  to 
England  (most  just  they  were,  we  must  admit)  had 
been  passed  over  so  repeatedly,  that  the  war  cloud 
was  surely  rising.  Our  merchantmen,  who,  strange 
to  say,  had  continued  to  call  at  the  ports  of  Spain, 
began  to  suffer  from  the  royal  ire.  Many  seamen 
were  held  for  the  Inquisition  or  huddled  to  the 
galleys,  while  vessels  and  cargoes  were  seized  and 
taken  by  force.  Soon,  in  all  but  name,  a  state  of 
war  existed.  It  was  just  at  this  pass  that  it  became 
certain  that  King  Philip  was  making  preparations 
to  revenge  the  great  losses  he  had  received.  Eng- 
land was  waiting  and  counting  no  odds. 


290  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

It  seems  a  trite  matter  to  recount  all  this,  for  it 
lives  in  the  minds  of  many,  but  rumors  were  rife  of 
the  gathering  of  great  numbers  of  men  and  ships, 
and  it  was  loudly  whispered  that  as  soon  as  all  was 
ready  to  his  liking,  the  Spanish  king  would  launch 
them  forth,  and  descend  upon  our  coasts. 

Now  during  the  time  that  all  this  was  taking 
place,  I,  myself,  had  been  leading  an  uneventful, 
and  in  all  truth,  an  idle  life,  for  my  fortunes  had 
improved  until  (had  I  so  willed  it)  I  might  have 
drifted  out  my  existence  in  all  peace  and  comfort. 
But  now  and  again  I  would  be  seized  by  the  old 
desire  for  action  and  excitement,  and  the  yearly 
change  from  the  gay  life  at  court  to  the  quiet  rest 
of  the  country  would  begin  to  pall  upon  my  spirit. 
I  had  reached  the  age  of  one  and  thirty,  I  had  re- 
mained unmarried,  which,  for  some  reason,  was  a 
scandal  to  my  friends,  but  need  not  be  accounted 
for,  and  if  I  had  chronicled  all  that  had  come  under 
my  observation,  some  of  it  might  be  reckoned  as  in- 
teresting ;  but  it  has  no  place  here,  and  so  I  let 
it  pass. 

An  outline  in  this  short  fashion  is  but  an  inter- 
lude, sufficient,  mayhap,  to  carry  the  reader  on  —  if 
he  has  had  patience  to  follow,  to  the  point  where  again 
I  tread  a  deck,  and  draw  sword.  Follow  me  to  the 
day  when  I  again  smell  powder  smoke  and  join  the 
yeomen  and  serve  my  old  leader  who  was  the  same 


Time  Passes  291 

bold  spirit  as  ever — more  cautious,  more  expe- 
rienced, but  the  same  !  And  how  I  was  aroused  out 
of  myself,  was  as  follows :  Drake  I  had  met  at 
court,  where  now  he  was  a  favorite,  and  then  he  had 
reproached  me  with  two  things  :  first,  that  I  had  not 
taken  unto  myself  a  wife  as  he  had,  and  secondly,  that 
he  perceived  that  ease  and  comfort  were  like  to 
destroy  my  worth  in  the  world,  and  that  I  was  no 
longer  in  the  first  blush  of  youth.  And  his  words 
I  took  to  heart,  so  much  so,  that  subsequently,  when 
I  heard  that  once  more  he  was  to  lead  the  expedition, 
destined  in  all  good  faith  this  time  for  Spanish 
coasts,  I  solicited  from  him  permission  to  go  in 
e*en  the  humblest  capacity,  provided  that  I  should 
be  allowed  to  serve  in  his  command.  To  my  great 
joy,  I  received  a  message,  the  very  words  of  which 
set  my  veins  tingling,  and  aroused  in  me  the  spirit 
and  ambition  that  had  so  long  lain  dormant,  and  I 
look  upon  this  as  truly  the  turning-point  in  my 
career,  and  if  I  have  gained  success  (as  certainly  I 
have  gained  happiness),  to  the  Captain*s  words  and 
incentive  given  me,  I  lay  them  both.  And  so,  with 
further  confidence  that  what  I  have  to  say  is  worth 
listening  to,  and  in  the  hope  that  it  will  be  followed 
(I  will  be  pardoned  for  its  discontinuance,  I  trust 
also),  embark  once  more  with  me. 

There  was  no  talk  of  anything  else  but  war,  and 
to  tell  the  truth,  it  was  glad  news.     When  I  reached 


292  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

Plymouth,  the  town  was  agog  with  tales  of  Spanish 
cruelty  and  clamorings  for  revenge.  The  streets 
were  crowded  with  sailor-men,  and  Drake's  vessels 
lay  anchored  in  the  harbor.  The  Guild  was  out  in 
force.  Many  bronze-featured  seamen  did  I  recog- 
nize, and  glad  was  I  when  the  news  came  that  the 
Admiral  was  in  town  (Captain  now  no  longer),  and 
I  received  orders  to  join  his  ship,  brought  to  me  by 
Roger  Truman,  who  had  grown  to  be  such  a  huge 
hairy  creature  that  I  scarce  knew  him.  He  told  me 
the  old  folks  were  alive  and  well. 


CHAPTER  XXIX 


CADIZ 


WAS  seated  with  Admiral  Drake  on  the 
upper  deck  of  the  Elizabeth  BonaventurCy 
his  old  flagship,  a  grand  craft,  strong 
as  oak  and  iron,  and  built  by  a  past 
master.  Close  to  hand  lay  the  royal  vessel  Golden 
Liofiy  of  five  hundred  and  fifty  tons,  now  flying  the 
flag  of  William  Borough,  the  Vice- Admiral,  and 
beyond  were  two  tiny  pinnaces  the  Spy  and  the  Make- 
shifty  in  command  of  Captains  Clifford  and  Bostocke. 
Still  beyond  were  more  vessels :  among  them  the 
Rainbow,  a  new  type  constructed  for  swiftness  and 
close  sailing  on  the  wind.  She  was  commanded  by 
Captain  Bellingham,  a  brave  sailor,  and  one  up  to 
his  duties  —  ready  and  willing  to  fight,  but  cautious, 
sure-minded  in  beginning.  To  the  eastward  a  large 
vessel  was  getting  up  her  foresail  in  preparation 
of  making  a  shift  of  her  anchorage.  Drake  pointed 
his  finger  at  her. 

"  There's  the  old  Breadnaughty'  said  he,  "  and  on 
board  of  her  is  Thomas  Fenner.     He's  the  stripe 

293 


294  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

of  a  sailor-man  I  like  to  have  within  signal  distance 
upon  such  an  expedition  as  this  is,  Master  Maun- 
sell  —  I  crave  pardon,  I  should  have  said  Sir 
Matthew  —  " 

I  waved  my  hand.  "  Let  it  pass  by,"  said  I. 
"  Remember  that  I  was  once  thy  scrivener.  Sir 
Francis." 

"Aye,"  was  the  return,  "and  before  I  had  an 
earthly  possession  save  a  few  nailed  planks,  and  a 
sword  —  " 

"And  before  you  had  received  a  certain  stroke 
on  the  shoulder,"  I  added. 

"  Yes,"  answered  Drake,  pridefuUy,  —  "  and  now 
I  have  land,  and  a  castle,  and  might  be  idle." 

"  There  have  been  some  changes  since  we  sailed 
together.  Admiral." 

"  Yea,  and  what  puzzleth  me  is  why  thou  didst 
forsake  thy  calling ;  for  if  I  have  not  been  mistaken, 
thou  art  made  for  a  sailor-man." 

"  Many  a  time  have  I  longed  for  the  bound  of 
the  deck  beneath  my  feet.  Admiral,  and  I  have 
dreamed  of  the  wind  and  the  rigging,  and  felt  the 
dash  of  the  spray." 

"  When  a  man  has  that  in  his  blood,"  said  Drake, 
laughing,  "  all  the  ease  and  pamper  of  court  cannot 
drive  it  hence.  Honestly,  'tis  pleasant  to  have  thee 
here  with  me  again.  I  am  treated  well  of  Dame 
Fortune.     The  sailing  orders  that  I  have  also  please 


Cadiz  295 

me  right  famously.  If  I  had  written  them  myself, 
they  could  not  be  more  to  my  liking.  It  is  folly 
to  suppose  that  peace  will  long  exist  between  Her 
Majesty  and  the  Spanish  king,  and  I  shall  put  a 
stop  to  it  —  such  a  shilly-shally  business.  Truth! 
we  are  well  informed,  for  our  spies  have  not  been 
idle  if  my  Lord  Burghley  is  deaf — but  that  aside, 
what  can  the  gathering  of  all  the  ships  on  the  Span- 
ish coasts  mean  but  a  descent  upon  our  own  ?  And 
this  it  is  my  purpose  to  prevent,  and,  God  willing,  I 
shall  do  it.  For  I  am  instructed  to  impeach  the 
joining  together  of  His  Majesty's  forces,  that  are 
this  moment  scattered ;  and  hark'ee  I  have  license 
also  to  destroy  the  vessels  in  the  Spanish  havens ! 
We  will  set  foot  on  the  enemy's  soil.  Sir  Matthew, 
and  carry  the  war  into  his  own  country." 

"  Hast  thou  written  instructions  on  this  point  ? " 
I  asked. 

"Yea,  and  why  not?  Surely  this  is  a  queen's 
expedition,  a  royal  matter,  and  not  arranged  for  plun- 
der merely,  'tho'  I  wot  not  but  that  we  may  gather 
some  and  in  the  performance  of  our  duties ;  other- 
wise," added  he,  "  I  should  not  have  been  able  to 
have  enlisted  the  services  of  so  many  bold  merchant- 
men, for  the  Levanters  sail  without  pay." 

"Admiral,"  said  I,  "'tis  my  advice  that  we  should 
set  sail  immediately,  for  I  heard  it  whispered  ere  I 
left  London,  that  Don  Antonio,  the  Spanish  Minis- 


296  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

ter,  was  growing  in  favor  again,  and  that  my  Lord 
Burghley  had  in  contemplation  changing  the  pur- 
pose of  this  fleet  to  an  expedition  against  the  plate 
ships  only." 

"  I  have  received  no  such  instructions  —  thanks 
be  to  God  !  " 

"  Doubtless  not  yet,  but  they  are  on  their  way ; 
of  that  Tm  certain." 

Drake's  brow  grew  furrowed.  "And  such  instruc- 
tions will  prove  to  the  liking  of  my  second  In  com- 
mand," said  he.  "  Borough  is  a  good  sailor,  but 
hampered  too  much  by  traditions  of  the  royal  ser- 
vice. As  Clerk  of  the  Ships,  he  has  written  rules 
for  others  to  follow,  and  these  he  Is  In  honor  bound 
to  keep,  or  else  prove  a  nonconformer ;  but  I  fear 
me  that  we  shall  break  several,  yea  —  we  are  in  dan- 
ger of  it."  Then  he  paused  again,  and  added  seri- 
ously :  "  But  what  thou  hast  said  has  given  me  alarm 
—  I  would  not  for  half  my  wealth,  nay,  all  I  now 
possess,  receive  restricting  orders.  If  all  my  vessels 
were  gathered  I  should  up  anchor  now,  within  an 
hour,  but  there  are  still  ten  to  come." 

"  How  many  wilt  thou  have  at  thy  command, 
Admiral  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Sixteen  ships  and  seven  pinnaces,"  was  the 
reply.  "  But  I  have  warrant  to  Impress  any  ves- 
sels of  war  to  my  service  that  I  may  meet  with  on 
the  seas." 


Cadiz  297 

After  some  more  talk,  in  which  Drake  told  me  of 
the  expedition,  he  went  below  to  his  cabin,  and  I  was 
left  on  deck.  Truly  it  seemed  a  small  force  with 
which  to  descend  upon  the  coasts  of  Spain,  where  we 
had  been  well  informed  they  were  in  many  ports 
more  ships  than  in  most  of  ours,  and  in  Cadiz  alone 
nigh  to  a  hundred  sail  awaited  orders ;  but  I  knew 
Sir  Francis  Drake  of  old.  Before  he  was  known  at 
courts,  odds  had  never  turned  him,  and  dangers  but 
increased  his  determination.  I  had  heard  it  rumored 
that  there  was  some  jealousy  between  Borough  and 
himself.  I  knew  that  when  we  were  once  at  sea 
Drake's  will  would  be  our  only  law,  yet  I  greatly 
doubted  if  he  should  be  allowed  to  put  his  favored 
plan  into  practice,  for  the  news  that  I  had  told  him 
was  not  mere  hearsay,  but  gathered  from  trustworthy 
sources,  and  I  marvelled  greatly  that  he  had  received 
no  orders  countermanding  those  he  held.  I  remem- 
bered, once  before,  how  the  Queen's  messenger  on 
his  way  to  Plymouth,  with  papers  that  were  to  pre- 
vent Drake's  sailing,  had  been  stopped  and  robbed, 
and  I  had  not  been  surprised  at  the  time  to  hear 
that  the  robbers  had  been  described  as  sailor-men, 
and  I  did  not  doubt  that  Drake,  if  he  had  so  chosen, 
could  have  named  them.  I  thought  to  myself  that 
perhaps  he  might  have  accounted  for  his  failure  to 
hear  from  the  Prime  Minister  in  the  present  case. 
But  it  was  not  so,  as  I  afterward  found  out ;  or  at 


298  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

least  it  was  not  due  to  any  plotting  of  his  that  he 
was  not  stopped. 

It  was  the  first  of  April,  and  late  in  the  afternoon  ; 
out  in  the  Channel,  I  could  see  a  number  of  white 
sails  sweeping  landward  before  the  eastern  wind, 
making  evidently  for  Plymouth.  But  to  all  appear- 
ances they  were  merchant  ships,  and  as  the  officer 
of  the  deck  had  not  remarked  them,  I  said  nothing, 
and  soon  one  of  the  stewards  came  and  told  me 
that  dinner  was  served  in  the  cabin. 

We  were  seated  at  the  table  when  a  quartermaster 
appeared  at  the  doorway  and,  doffing  his  cap, 
saluted. 

"  A  number  of  vessels  have  dropped  anchor  hard 
by  us.  Admiral  Drake,"  said  he,  "  and  I  am  minded 
that  they  may  be  the  Levant  Company.  I  could 
swear  that  the  nearest  is  the  old  Merchant  Royals 

"  Hurrah  !  "  Drake  cried.  "  Let  me  see  them 
head  us  now  !  " 

We  left  our  food  steaming  on  our  plates,  and  led 
by  the  Admiral  himself,  hurried  up  to  deck. 

"The  Levant  fleet,  surely,"  cried  the  Admiral. 
"  Here  comes  a  boat,  heading  for  us,  and  in  a 
hurry  from  the  way  they're  hitting  up  the  stroke." 
Surely  enough,  the  thrum  of  oars  was  heard,  and  in 
another  moment  an  officer  climbed  the  side.  He 
was  none  other  than  my  old  friend.  Smith,  armorer 
no  longer,  but  now  a  captain  in  the  merchant  ser- 


Cadiz  299 

vice,  and  one  who  had  offered  himself  for  the  under- 
taking. 

"  The  Guild  is  gathering,"  cried  Drake,  as  he 
warmly  grasped  his  hand,  and  in  another  moment 
he  was  overwhelming  him  with  questions.  The 
answers  pleased  him  greatly :  All  the  ships  were 
there,  and  save  for  a  few  desertions,  that  had  taken 
place  at  the  last  minute,  they  were  armed  and 
equipped  for  service.  Now  as  the  vessels  had  been 
built  to  protect  themselves  from  the  corsairs  and 
pirates  that  sailed  in  eastern  waters,  they  differed 
but  little  from  Queen's  ships,  and  needed  but  small 
changing  to  turn  from  trade  to  war. 

Ere  midnight,  every  vessel  of  the  fleet  had  been 
informed  that  the  orders  were  to  sail  at  daybreak. 
No  one  was  allowed  to  go  on  shore,  and  when  the 
good  people  of  Plymouth  awoke  next  morn,  save 
for  the  coasting  craft,  the  harbor  was  empty.  We 
were  off  on  our  voyage  again.  In  two  days  after 
our  departure,  the  orders  of  which  I  had  spoken 
arrived,  brought  by  a  relation  of  Sir  John  Hawkins, 
who  had  held  command  under  Captain  Wynter.  In 
pursuance  of  instructions,  he  had  chartered  a  pin- 
nace and  put  out  after  us,  but  he  had  nrot  carried 
much  sail  or  been  very  intent  upon  his  mission, 
for  he  returned  to  England  (with  a  fat  prize,  by  the 
way)  and  reported  that  Drake  was  beyond  finding. 

We  met  head  winds  for  the  first  two  days,  but  as 


300  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

we  beat  about,  we  picked  up  two  men-of-war  of 
Lyme,  and  Drake  stopping  them,  showed  his  papers, 
the  authority  of  which  they  respected  and  followed 
us,  thus  bringing  our  forces  up  to  twenty-five  sail 
in  all.  On  the  evening  of  the  eleventh,  a  great 
storm  broke,  and  when  day  dawned  there  were  but 
five  ships  in  sight,  so  we  headed  for  the  Rock  of 
Lisbon,  where  it  had  been  agreed  that  we  should 
gather  should  such  contingency  arise.  It  was  five 
days  before  the  last  vessel  reported,  and  then,  in 
obedience  to  an  order  from  the  flagship,  the  captains 
came  on  board  to  hold  counsel  of  war,  as  was  pre- 
scribed by  the  Royal  Navy  rules,  of  which  Admiral 
Borough  was  so  close  an  observer.  I  could  have 
told  beforehand  what  the  result  would  be.  It  re- 
minded me  of  the  old  days  on  board  the  Pacha, 
There  was  but  one  voice  heard,  or  at  least  listened 
to,  by  the  Admiral,  and  that,  needless  to  say,  was 
his  own.  It  was  his  plans  that  were  to  be  followed, 
his  word  that  was  to  rule,  and  he  asked  for  neither 
advice  or  counsel  upon  the  matter  in  hand,  talking 
on,  as  if  thinking  aloud. 

I  shall  never  forget  the  look  of  consternation  and 
dismay  upon  Borough's  face  as  he  listened.  Even 
I,  knowing  the  Admiral  well,  was  somewhat  taken 
back,  for  his  proposition  was  nothing  less  than  to 
sail  boldly  into  Cadiz,  put  to  the  torch  all  the 
vessels  belonging   to  the    King  of  Spain  that  he 


Cadiz  301 

could  find  there,  and  put  to  the  sword  all  those 
who  should  oppose  him. 

Admiral  Borough  had  something  to  say  to  all 
of  this  when  he  found  room  for  speech,  and  he 
called  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  harbor  was 
guarded  by  the  strong  castle  of  Matagorda,  and  that 
no  fleet  could  live  beneath  its  guns. 

"  Mine  can,"  said  Drake,  "  and  will,  as  you  shall 
see,  Admiral.     Is  there  aught  else  ?  " 

"  'Tis  full  of  the  King's  shipping,  vessels  mount- 
ing forty  guns,  and  there  is  an  army  there  on  shore," 
urged  Borough,  breathlessly.  "And  then  the 
galleys,  —  you  know  how  deadly  galleys  are  in  closed 
waters,  —  they  would  take  us  all  —  ships  would  be 
useless." 

"  The  vessels  are  dismantled  and  unprepared,  or 
at  least  made  ready  in  the  Spanish  fashion,"  Drake 
returned,  "  and  the  army,  as  you  say,  is  on  shore, 
where  they  cannot  molest  us,  and  as  for  the  galleys 
—  Bah  !  that  for  them  ! "  he  snapped  his  fingers. 

"  But  the  passages  are  dangerous  and  we  would 
need  a  pilot.  Rashness  is  not  leadership.  Sir  Fran- 
cis," quoth  Borough,  who  was  the  only  man  that 
had  dared  to  raise  his  voice. 

"  I  have  piloted  through  worse  passages  that  I 
knew  less,"  returned  Drake,  "and  despite  your 
objections,  there  we  go.  To  your  ships,  gentle- 
men."    And  this  concluded  the  interview. 


302  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

When  all  had  left,  Drake  stretched  his  arms 
above  his  head  and  gave  vent  to  a  great  sigh  of 
relief,  as  a  man  does  who  has  completed  a  task  and 
eased  his  mind ;  then  he  laughed.  "  They  little 
know  us.  Sir  Matthew,"  he  said,  "or  they  would 
not  ask  such  idle  questions.  You  have  sailed  with 
me.  Have  I  ever  set  hand  to  task  and  failed  ? 
Mark  me  this :  We  will  give  old  Cadiz  such  a 
rousing  show  that  it  will  make  a  day  in  Spanish 
history.  Faith,  I  can  see  the  King  tearing  his  hair, 
and  confounding  me  and  the  Evil  One  in  a  hodge- 
podge of  prayer,  and  cursing." 

"  Methinks  he  has  not  forgotten  thy  name.  Sir 
Francis,"  I  returned. 

"  No,  nor  do  I  intend  he  shall ;  and  listen :  I 
mean  to  give  thy  sword.  Sir  Matthew,  a  chance  to 
prove  if  rusting  at  court  has  spoiled  its  temper. 
Ah,  'tis  a  pity  thou  hast  wasted  so  much  time  in 
gallantry  and  fine  speeches  and  fiddle-faddle." 

"  I  was  with  Sir  Philip  at  Zutphen,"  I  returned, 
somewhat  nettled  at  his  words,  "and  there  my 
sword  was  drawn." 

"  Yes,  happily,  and  if  reports  are  true,  thou  didst 
give  good  account  of  thyself,  but  'twas  a  holiday 
from  thy  arduous  labors  of  bending  the  knee  and 
kissing  the  hand  and  trinketing,"  he  returned,  "  and 
thou  wert  with  soldiers." 

"  Then  give^  me  a  chance.  Admiral,  to   redeem 


Cadiz  303 

my  position  in  thine  eyes,"  I  cried  eagerly.  "  I 
shall  prove  I  am  a  sailor." 

"  Fear  not,  thou  shalt  have  it,"  he  returned.  "  I 
have  marked  thee  for  some  duties  that  will  bring 
thee  to  notice." 

There  was  a  smile  on  his  lips  as  he  spake  that 
did  not  gainsay  his  words,  and  again  the  old  thrill 
came  o'er  me  that  I  was  wont  to  feel  when  fighting 
was  ahead,  and  Drake  was  to  lead  us,  and  I  do  not 
doubt  but  that  every  yeoman  of  his,  who  had 
known  him  of  yore,  felt  the  same  that  night. 

I  began  to  realize  that  it  was  my  old  home  that 
we  were  approaching.  I  remembered  how  in  the 
days  of  my  boyhood,  when  I  had  been  part  Span- 
iard, I  had  looked  from  the  cliffs  at  Cadiz,  down  at 
the  crowded  harbor.  I  recalled  the  day  when  my 
mother  had  been  married  in  the  great  cathedral,  and 
also  the  day  when  I  had  set  sail  from  the  town  with 
Martha  Warrell  on  our  voyage  to  France.  It 
seemed  to  me  that  all  our  ventures  in  the  Spanish 
Main  were  as  naught  compared  with  that  ahead  of 
us.  To  descend  upon  a  city  so  large  and  powerful 
with  such  a  little  fleet  seemed  nothing  short  of  mad- 
ness, but  then  I  recalled  that  the  very  name  of 
Drake  spelt  wonders  to  be  done,  and  during  my 
watch  on  deck  I  reviewed  the  past  and  kept 
courage. 

We  were  headed  in,  holding  a  steady  course,  and 


304  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

I  knew  that  once  within  sight  of  land  there  would 
be  no  waiting.  Many  brave  fellows  and  many  fine 
ships  would  never  see  England  again.  For  it  seemed 
to  me  that  we  could  not  follow  out  the  Captain's 
plans  without  great  loss,  but  as  the  old  saying  was 
among  Drake's  yeomen,  "  God  must  be  on  our 
side,"  for  what  really  happened  was  little  short  of  a 
miracle  indeed,  as  all  who  read  or  listen,  know.  The 
next  morning  we  sighted  land  to  the  eastward  of 
the  town  of  Lagos,  and  by  three  in  the  afternoon 
we  could  see  the  cliffs  of  Cadiz.  Once  more  Bor- 
ough came  on  board  the  flagship,  and  at  the  inter- 
view between  himself  and  the  Admiral  I  was  not 
present,  but  I  can  vouch  for  this,  that  when  the 
commander  of  the  Golden  Lion  left  to  join  his  vessel, 
he  was  in  no  sweet  temper. 

Drake  was  like  unto  a  boy  about  to  take  part  in 
some  cherished  sport.  His  blue  eyes  were  dancing, 
he  hummed  a  tune  beneath  his  breath,  and  once  he 
clapped  me  on  the  shoulder,  in  the  old  fashion  of 
his,  and  with  joy  in  his  accents,  said,  in  a  tone  I  so 
well  remember,  "We  have  them  on  the  hip,  my 
lad,  and  we'll  have  the  flames  dancing  against  the 
sky  to-night,  and  the  Dons  telling  their  beads." 

But  somehow  I  did  not  like  what  Borough  had 
said  about  the  galleys.  Drake  seemed  to  read  my 
mind,  for  he  spake  again :  "  We'll  teach  them  a 
trick  or  two,  kd,  and  I  doubt  not  that  we'll  convert 


Cadiz  305 

the  Queen's  officers  to  my  way  of  thinking.  Pah  ! 
Give  me  a  wind  and  sailing-room  enough  to  turn 
in,  and  I  fear  not  all  the  rowing  boats  that  the  King 
of  Spain  can  muster." 

He  turned  and  looked  back  at  the  fleet  that  was 
gathering  up  in  close  order,  according  to  his  plan. 
"  Let  them  all  stand  by  me,"  said  he,  "  and  I  fear 
not  but  what  we  will  give  Don  Antonio  a  case  of 
ague  that  will  shake  him  out  of  London." 

We  were  now  close  into  the  mouth  of  the  harbor, 
and  as  we  searched  the  headland,  a  pufF  of  smoke 
blew  out  against  the  face  of  the  cliff,  and  then  an- 
other and  a  third. 

"  The  alarum  guns  !  "  cried  Drake.  "  So  ho,  my 
masters,  you'll  be  ready  for  us."  With  that  he 
descended  to  the  waist  and  saw  that  the  guns  were 
shotted  and  the  men  were  at  their  posts.  Not  a 
sign  of  fear  did  I  see  visible,  for,  as  usual,  Drake 
had  filled  every  one  with  the  invincible  spirit  that 
belonged  to  him  alone.  I  had  ceased  to  marvel 
at  it. 


CHAPTER   XXX 

THE    ATTACK 

S  we  came  nearer  to  the  mouth  of  the 
harbor,  and  the  tall  cliiFs  loomed  broad 
off  our  bows,  we  could  plainly  see  into 
what  great  consternation  our  approach 
had  thrown  the  shipping.  More  alarum  guns  were 
sounded  from  the  shore  batteries,  and  helter-skelter 
the  vessels  lying  farthest  out  were  making  sail  to 
reach  the  inner  harbor,  beyond  the  point  of  Puntales. 
There  was  quiet  water,  guarded  by  many  shoals. 
A  mighty  cutting  of  cables  and  much  loss  of  ground 
tackle  now  began,  for  few  waited  to  raise  anchor  in 
their  haste. 

On  we  came,  disdaining  to  reply  to  the  fire  of  the 
Matagorda  that  had  opened  on  us  ere  we  wxre  within 
farthest  range,  and  we  could  mark  the  balls  falling 
into  the  water  over  half  a  mile  ahead. 

"*Struth!  but  they  think  to  frighten  us!"  laughed 
the  Admiral,  at  whose  side  I  stood.  "  Powder  and 
iron  must  be  held  cheap  nowadays  in  Spain.  'Tis 
a  woful  waste,  tut,  tut !   and  were   I   the   King   I 

306 


The  Attack  307 

should  have  the  matter  inquired  into.  But  mayhap 
they  salute  us.     We  will  answer  later." 

Not  a  shot  did  we  return  until  we  were  so  close 
that  we  could  see  the  crews  of  the  huddling  vessels 
hauling  and  pulling  at  the  sheets  and  ropes,  falling 
over  one  another  like  boys  scrambling  for  pennies. 
Some  of  the  larger  craft  were  dismantled  of  sails  and 
rigging,  and  more  than  one  was  moored  to  a  shear- 
hulk,  but  their  cables  had  been  cut  also,  and  every- 
where they  drifted  helplessly  about  like  wounded 
water-fowl  seeking  a  sanctuary.  Drake  pointed  out 
one  of  the  largest,  a  great  galleon  whose  sides  bristled 
with  big  cannon. 

"  There's  a  fine  prize,  worth  rechristening !  "  he 
said ;  "  and  by  the  Powers  I  will  make  thee  master 
of  her.  Sir  Matthew,  so  thou  wilt  have  a  command 
of  thine  own.     We  will  give  thee  a  trial." 

It  was  like  to  his  nature  to  speak  thus,  and  I 
thanked  him  as  if  he  had  handed  me  a  present  that 
was,  in  all  verity,  his  to  give.  At  this  moment  a 
cry  arose  from  the  forecastle :  — 

"  The  galleys  !     Here  come  the  galleys  ! " 

Drake  mounted  the  rail,  and  I  climbed  up  with 
him.  Out  from  the  shelter  of  the  castle  and  the 
land  batteries  we  could  see,  heading  for  us,  the 
dreaded  row  vessels.  They  made  a  threatening 
array,  with  their  long  sweeps  swinging  together  and 
the  foam    gathering   under   each    sharp    fore   foot. 


3o8  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

The  decks  gleamed  with  naked  steel,  and  lines  of 
pikes  and  musquets  crossed  the  bulwarks. 

"Twelve!  twelve,  and  none  less!"  cried  Drake, 
finishing  the  count  aloud.  "  Now,  brother  Borough, 
we  will  shatter  one  of  thy  precious  precepts !  "  He 
looked  back  at  the  ship  of  the  Vice-Admiral,  and  a 
curse  broke  from  him  as  he  saw  that  the  Golden  Lion 
had  sighted  the  galleys  and  was  holding  off.  "  Let 
him  look  on,  then  !  "  he  muttered.  "  Sooth  !  our 
friend  is  bold  as  a  sheep  —  as  fierce  as  a  dormouse. 
I  shall  caution  him  ! '' 

We  had  formed  in  line  —  four  vessels  —  distant 
from  each  other  about  half  bowshot,  and,  putting 
down  the  helm,  we  crossed  the  path  of  the  enemy, 
still  keeping  silent,  but  every  man  standing  tense 
and  eager  at  the  broadside  pieces.  So  close  were 
the  galleys  now  that  it  seemed  certain  that  some 
would  reach  us.  Drake  measured  the  distance  with 
a  glance,  and  then,  with  a  trumpet  voice,  gave  the 
order  to  fire.  Following  our  example,  every  English 
ship  burst  into  sheets  of  flame !  Then  how  the 
cheering  rose !  The  charge  of  the  galleys  crumbled 
—  there  was  no  excuse  for  missing  at  that  range. 
Splinters  flew,  and  the  leaders,  heaving  round,  backed 
water  as  if  they  had  found  a  hidden  shoal  ahead. 
Before  they  could  recover  we  found  time  to  come 
about,  and  point-blank  met  them  with  the  other 
broadside.     'Twas  the  same  tale  told  again  !     They 


The  Attack  309 

waited  for  no  more,  but,  plashing  and  struggling 
madly  like  a  school  of  whales  driven  on  shallow 
water,  they  made  a  wild  rush  for  the  shore. 

"  There !  "  cried  Drake.  "  One  more  question  is 
at  rest !  and  we  will  have  no  more  skimpy  galleys 
built  in  England,  but  honest  sailing-craft !  How 
terrors  dissolve  when  we  face  them.  Sir  Matthew ! 
I  shall  be  glad  to  see  what  Borough  writes  of 
this.  What  say  ye,  my  masters  ?  Here  is  material 
for  a  new  chapter." 

Two  of  the  galleys  had  made  in  past  the  arm  of 
Puntales,  the  rest  had  reached  the  protection  of  the 
land.  Some  were  sinking,  and  nearly  all  were  shat- 
tered. So  we  turned  our  attention  to  the  big  vessel 
before  referred  to.  The  Levanters  had  begun  to 
hammer  her  wickedly,  and  despite  her  forty  guns, 
she  was  replying  but  feebly ;  her  crew  was  to  all 
evidence  not  complete,  and  she  was  undermanned. 
Ere  long  she  was  so  galled  that  her  flag  was  struck, 
and  the  Admiral,  turning  to  me,  said  cheerily :  — 

"  Now,  master,  by  my  word,  here's  thy  chance. 
Take  my  boat  and  a  half-score  of  men  and  gain  pos- 
session, and,  as  I  promised,  she  is  thine !  I  am  off 
to  head  yonder  vessels ;  *tis  a  great  day  for  Eng- 
land and  the  game  is  but  begun  ! " 

The  boat  was  lowered,  but  by  some  mistake  it 
was  one  of  the  smaller  ones,  and  held  but  five  men 
besides  myself.     The  flagship  was  now  before  the 


3IO  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

wind  and  running  fast ;  there  was  no  time  to  make 
the  change,  and  besides,  the  little  shallop  was  like 
to  be  dragged  under.  So  Drake,  hurrying  me  to 
the  gangway,  bade  me  go,  saying  that  we  were  suffi- 
cient for  the  work  ahead,  and  ordering  us  to  anchor 
as  soon  as  we  had  boarded  the  galleon. 

"  I  will  be  back  to  join  you,"  he  concluded,  "  so 
rest  easy ;  'tis  good  holding  ground.  We  will  finish 
what  we  have  begun,  in  the  morning." 

Ten  hawks  in  a  hen  yard  would  have  created  less 
disturbance  than  we  had,  by  this  time,  raised  in  the 
outer  harbor.  Three  or  four  Spanish  vessels  were 
in  flames,  a  round  dozen  had  been  captured,  and  to 
all  appearances  the  others  were  like  to  sink  each 
other,  in  the  wild  scramble  for  safety.  So  far  as  I 
could  make  out,  no  Queen's  vessel  had  lost  a 
finger's  width  of  paint.  The  Spanish  cannon  were 
as  harmless  as  if  they  had  been  hurling  puddings. 

The  men  pulHng  at  the  oars  were  laughing  and 
jeering.  "  Let  us  row  in  and  take  the  castle,"  said 
one. 

"  Faith,  we  might  try  it,"  added  another.  "  And 
it  might  please  the  Admiral." 

"We  are  in  fair  likelihood  of  being  taken  our- 
selves, my  lads,"  said  I.  "  For  yonder  cometh  a 
galley  to  the  rescue  of  our  prize.  Settle  to  your 
work  and  stow  your  patter." 

It  was  as  I  had  told  them.     One  of  the  galleys 


The  Attack 


311 


had  recovered  sufficiently  to  observe  the  plight  of 
the  big  vessel,  and  had  started  on  a  dash  to  aid  her. 
We  were  so  close  now  that  I  could  read  the  name 
on  her  stern,  painted  in  great  gold  letters  a  foot 
high.  The  Argosy  she  was  called,  and  she  shone 
with  metal  work  and  was  gay  with  red  and  yellow 
colors.  As  we  neared  her,  we  saw  a  small  boat  put 
oiF,  and  in  her  we  counted  eleven  men  in  great  haste 
to  leave ;  some  were  wounded.  I  afterward  found 
out  that  these  were  all  she  had  on  board  —  one 
officer,  two  sailors,  and  the  rest  were  artisans  and 
shore  folk.  But  why  were  they  so  eager  to  leave 
their  ship  ?  Surely,  even  if  they  had  sighted  us, 
they  must  also  have  noticed  the  approach  of  the 
galley ! 

Thinking  it  might  be  a  ruse  to  lead  us  on,  I  called 
for  the  men  to  stop  rowing,  and  we  drifted  a  minute ; 
but  there  were  no  signs  of  treachery  from  the  for- 
saken craft,  no  movement  or  hail,  and  seeing  that 
we  would  lose  her  if  we  did  not  get  on  board  quickly 
and  make  sail  (for  if  we  dropped  anchor  where  she 
was,  we  would  have  had  to  fight  the  galley),  I 
ordered  my  fellows  to  give  way  lustily,  and  we 
ranged  alongside  at  her  main  chains.  Standing  up 
and  grasping  them  over  my  head,  I  was  about 
to  order  the  rest  to  follow,  when  I  was  struck 
speechless.  The  vessel  suddenly  appeared  to  draw 
a  great  sigh,  like  some  huge  stricken  animal !     She 


312  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

quivered  as  if  my  grasp  had  threatened  and  fright- 
ened her ;  a  strange  guddling  sound  came  from  her 
hold.  I  could  feel  a  gust  of  wind,  like  a  cold 
breath,  blow  from  an  open  port,  and  then  with  sud- 
den lurch  she  canted  to  larboard,  and  ere  I  could 
let  go  the  chains,  she  was  toppling  down  upon  us. 
All  her  cannon  broke  from  their  lashings  and  roared 
across  the  deck.  It  was  so  unearthly,  and  we  were 
so  ill-prepared  for  anything  of  this  sort,  that  it  was 
a  wonder  we  did  more  than  sit  there  and  let  the 
huge  vessel  crush  us.  But  I  gave  a  shove  with  all 
my  might,  and  one  of  the  bowmen,  who  had  kept 
to  his  oar,  laid  back  in  a  heave,  and  we  got  from 
under  her  gallery.  But  even  then  I  saw  that  we 
could  not  escape,  and  calling  upon  the  others  to 
jump,  I  dove  out,  hoping  to  swim  from  under  the 
sinking  hull,  ere  it  should  bear  me  down.  But  the 
galleon  must  have  righted  somewhat,  befpre  her 
decks  burst  open,  as  she  plunged  down,  bow  fore- 
most, and  nearly  on  an  even  keel.  I  had  risen  to  the 
surface,  but  the  indraught  of  the  water  as  she  settled 
was  too  much  for  me,  and  being  almost  within  touch- 
ing distance,  down  I  was  dragged  in  the  whirlpool. 
I  held  my  breath  and  kept  my  senses,  and  soon  I 
was  on  an  upward  journey  and  kicked  out  lustily,  but 
I  despaired  of  making  it.  Just  as  I  was  about  to 
give  up,  for  my  lungs  and  head  were  bursting,  I 
reached  the  surface  where  the  water  was  yet  bubbling 


The  Attack  313 

and  seething  like  a  caldron.  Not  a  trace  of  my 
boat*s  crew  was  there  to  be  seen,  but  my  own  dan- 
ger was  not  over,  and  I  had  my  own  safety  to  think 
on.  Every  now  and  then  a  spar  or  bit  of  planking 
would  come  shooting  upward,  and  one  big  spar 
as  it  rose  grazed  my  side,  bruising  my  left  arm  and 
shoulder  badly.  Laying  hold  of  the  very  piece  that 
had  come  near  to  killing  me,  I  paddled  with  my 
legs  and  free  arm,  and  soon  was  out  of  the  danger 
spot,  upon  which  I  breathed  a  prayer  to  God. 

Nearby  drifted  a  hulk  badly  shattered  from  our 
fire ;  she  had  no  yards  on  her  masts,  and  so  far  as 
appearances  went,  had  been  abandoned  by  her  own 
people,  and  as  yet  had  not  been  taken  possession  of 
by  a  prize  crew.  The  fight  was  now  up  near  the 
entrance  of  the  inner  harbor,  where  there  was  a  great 
cannonading  and  the  smoke  and  flames  were  rising. 
The  galley  that  had  caused  me  such  uneasiness  had 
turned  and  was  crawling  off  to  the  southward.  It 
would  be  sheer  folly  to  try  to  swim  after  any  of  our 
vessels,  and  I  determined  to  board  the  hulk  ;  she 
lay  with  anchor  down,  I  thought,  and  but  a  short 
distance  from  me.  I  was  weak  from  my  struggle, 
and  the  blow  on  my  shoulder  pained  me  so  that  I 
was  glad  to  reach  the  vessel's  gangway,  where  there 
hung  a  ladder,  up  which  I  struggled  and  almost  fell 
upon  the  deck. 

There   was    no    one    in    sight,    and    everything 


314  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

pointed  to  the  idea  that,  like  the  Argosy  (that  was 
twice  her  size,  by  the  way),  she  had  been  abandoned 
after  a  mere  show  of  resistance.  There  was  a  pool 
of  blood  on  the  steps  leading  to  the  quarter-deck ; 
splinters  and  wreck  were  all  about.  She  had  been 
badly  mauled  by  the  broadsides  that  the  Levanters 
had  poured  out  on  either  hand  as  they  passed. 

Getting  with  some  difficulty  to  my  feet,  I  ran 
forward  to  see  how  the  battle  was  going  and  to  look 
for  any  sign  of  the  boat's  crew.  The  fight  was 
waxing  fiercer,  and  as  it  was  growing  dark,  the  red 
flames  lit  the  shores  and  were  reflected  in  the  turbid 
waters.  But  I  saw  no  sign  of  my  unfortunate  com- 
panions and  did  not  doubt  that  they  had  been 
drowned,  and  that,  poor  wights,  they  now  lay  in  the 
mud  of  the  harbor  bottom.  Looking  about  me,  I 
perceived  that  there  was  no  Spanish  vessel  near,  and 
thus  considering  myself  safe  and  remembering  the 
AdmiraFs  promise  to  return,  I  forthwith  began  to 
explore  my  prize.  She  was  about  eighty  tons*  bur- 
then and  not  new,  evidently  a  cartel,  packet,  or  mer- 
chant vessel  —  there  were  some  newly  made  ports  on 
each  side  in  the  waist,  and  I  suppose  that  she  was  in 
the  process  of  being  transformed  into  a  warship, 
which  work  we  had  interrupted.  As  I  opened  the 
door  that  led  into  the  after-cabin  under  the  break 
of  the  poop-deck,  I  hastily  drew  back  —  the  place 
was  full  of  smoke,  and  in  the  corner  I  could  see  a 


The  Attack 


315 


tongue  of  red  flickering  feebly  against  the  deck  beams. 
Moved  by  what  I  know  not,  I  hastened  to  the  mast, 
where  I  had  observed  a  great  barrel  with  water,  and 
filling  a  steel  head-piece  that  I  found,  I  dashed  back 
into  the  cabin.  How  long  I  fought  the  fire  single 
handed  I  have  no  inkling,  but  at  last  I  had  it  out 
and  could  breathe  easy.  As  the  smoke  cleared  away, 
there  was  just  sufficient  light  coming  in  at  the  cabin 
windows  to  show  that  the  apartment  had  been  luxu- 
riously furnished.  There  was  an  altar  from  which 
most  of  the  rich  trappings  and  cloths  had  been  burned, 
two  silver  candlesticks,  and  a  crucifix  at  the  farther 
end.  The  cabin  had  evidently  been  intended  for  an 
ecclesiastic.  There  was  the  mark  of  the  churchman 
everywhere  visible.  On  the  back  of  a  chair  hung  a 
dark  habit  of  the  Order  of  St.  Joseph,  a  string  of 
heavy  beads,  and  a  rope  girdle.  "  A  floating  mon- 
astery," said  I  to  myself  aloud,  "and  no  one  to 
attend  vespers  but  myself."  As  I  hurried  out  to 
the  deck,  intending  to  wash  my  hands  and  face  free 
from  the  smoke  and  grime  at  the  water  butt,  I 
stopped  before  I  had  taken  two  strides  —  there  was 
the  sound  of  rowing,  a  mighty  churning,  grinding 
roar  of  sweeps,  close  to  hand  on  the  starboard  side. 
I  peeped  over  the  bulwarks.  There  came  the 
Spanish  galley !  and  as  I  saw  her,  I  heard  an  officer 
give  the  order  to  cease  at  the  oars.  Back  I  ran  into 
the  cabin  and  closed  the  door. 


CHAPTER  XXXI 


ON    SPANISH    SOIL 


IT  first  I  stood  helpless,  leaning  against  the 

/\         mast  that  ran  through  the  cabin,  and  trying 

y    \      to  think  what  it  would  be  best  to  do.    My 

— •  sword  was  gone  (having  rid  myself  of  it  in 

the  water),  but  glancing  about,  there  on  the  deck  lay 
a  handsome  dagger  with  a  long  blade  of  exceeding 
breadth  where  it  entered  the  hilt.  It  was  plainly  of 
Moorish  workmanship,  and  could  be  trusted.  Pick- 
ing it  up,  I  threw  myself  into  an  attitude  of  defence 
and  awaited  the  attack.  Just  then  I  heard  the  galley 
strike  the  side  of  the  vessel  and  immediately  there- 
after footsteps  on  deck.  A  thought  suddenly  crossed 
my  mind.  What  use  would  it  be  to  fight  ?  I  would 
be  surely  cut  to  pieces.  Was  there  no  way  to 
save  myself  ?  no  chance  of  escape  ?  Furtively  I 
looked  round.  Through  the  little  barred  window  I 
saw  that  the  galley  had  been  backed  in  and  that  ac- 
counted for  the  time  it  had  taken  them  to  get  along- 
side. I  saw  in  the  dim  light  that  the  name  in  big 
letters  across  her  stern  was  Cristobal,  The  officers 
who  stood  on  the  after-deck  might  at  any  time  look 

316 


On  Spanish  Soil  317 

into  the  cabin,  and,  although  it  was  so  near  dark, 
they  could  not  fail  but  observe  me.  Then  where 
would  I  be  ?  If  not  dead  in  five  minutes,  stand- 
ing before  the  judges  of  the  Black  Order  in  a  dun- 
geon of  the  Inquisition,  or  pulling  out  my  heart  and 
life  at  the  sweeps,  like  the  poor  felons  chained  to  the 
cross-thwarts  of  the  Cristobal,  I  cast  about  fear- 
fully for  some  place  to  hide,  and  for  an  instant,  a 
horrible,  trembling  dread  came  o*er  me,  but  I  threw 
it  off,  and  another  feeling  took  its  place.  A  wild 
desire,  this  time,  to  end  the  suspense  that  was  so 
sapping  me,  and  to  rush  out  on  deck  and  bid  them 
come  on  and  taste  what  I  might  give  them  ere  they 
bore  me  down.  I  wondered  why  they  had  not  en- 
tered by  breaking  through  the  door  to  search  the 
cabin,  for  it  was  plain  that  there  were  a  half-score  of 
men  on  board,  but  I  soon  perceived  the  reason ;  the 
galley  had  drawn  ahead  to  cross  the  vessel's  bows, 
and  the  sailors  were  busy  passing  a  great  rope,  mak- 
ing ready  to  tow  us  in  to  shore.  Soon  I  could  see 
we  were  in  motion,  and  then  my  heart  gave  a  leap, 
for  some  one  fumbled  at  the  door  lock  (I  have  for- 
gotten to  state  I  had  slipped  the  bolt).  A  few 
curses  in  Spanish  showed  that  whoever  it  was,  was 
more  in  a  temper  than  suspicious,  and  then  I  heard 
a  commanding  voice  say  :  — 

"  Hasten  below,  some  one  of  you ;    the  door  is 
locked,  and  they  must  have  descended  the  ladder." 


3i8  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

"  So,"  thought  I  to  myself,  "  there  is  another  en- 
trance to  this  rat  trap,  it  behooves  me  to  find  it  and 
make  ready,  or  at  least  to  do  something  more  than 
stand  here  with  my  eyes  popping."  I  was  about  to 
step  forward  when  I  felt  the  deck  jump  under  my 
feet  and  then  followed  a  thump  and  more  curses 
from  directly  beneath  me. 

"  Caramba  !  there  is  something  on  top  the  hatch, 
and  Tve  lost  a  finger,"  grunted  a  rough  voice. 
"  Come,  one  of  you  dogs,  and  help  me.  Hey ! 
bring  a  light ! " 

The  sudden  movement  had  put  me  off  my  bal- 
ance, and  stretching  forth  my  hand  to  steady  myself 
I  grasped  the  great  oaken  chair  and  in  doing  so  laid 
hold  of  the  monk's  habit  that  was  thrown  across  it. 
An  idea  flashed  across  my  brain,  and  with  it  came  a 
faint  ray  of  hope.  It  was  but  the  work  of  an  in- 
stant to  thrust  the  dagger  in  my  belt  and  to  struggle 
into  the  heavy  cassock  that  covered  me  from  head 
to  foot.  I  pulled  the  cowl  over  my  face  and  quickly 
tied  the  rope  girdle  about  my  waist.  Just  as  I  picked 
up  the  rosary,  the  hatch  was  flung  upward  with 
great  violence,  and  a  swart  face  appeared  in  a  circle 
of  light  that  welled  up  from  below.  I  dropped 
upon  my  knees  and  began  to  mumble  some  Latin ; 
what,  I  cannot  call  to  mind. 

A  man  of  large  stature,  carrying  a  lanthorn,  climbed 
up  the  hatchway,  and  I  bowed  my  head  toward  him 


On  Spanish  Soil  319 

as  if  expecting  my  death  stroke  on  the  instant,  but 
the  man  leaned  forward. 

"  Padre,"  said  he,  "  we  are  thy  friends.  Fear 
naught." 

"  Ye  are  not  English  ? "  I  asked,  feigning  great 
terror,  and  still  keeping  on  my  knees. 

"  No,  we  are  sons  of  Spain.  Thou  art  safe.  St. 
Jago  has  heard  thy  prayers." 

I  mumbled  more  Latin,  and  the  man  turned  and 
called  down  to  some  one  below. 

"  One  of  the  holy  Fathers  is  still  on  board,"  cried 
he.     "  He  took  us  for  dogs  of  English." 

"  Peace,  my  son,"  I  answered.  "  I  was  ready  to 
die  if  need  be." 

Eftsoon  two  other  men  appeared,  and  one  going 
to  the  door,  unlocked  it  and  admitted  a  fourth.  He 
proved  to  be  an  officer ;  but,  like  the  rest,  he  treated 
me  with  reverence. 

"  Courage,  courage.  Padre,"  said  he.  "  Where 
are  thy  companions  ?  " 

"  Gone  in  a  boat,"  I  answered;  for  how  else  could 
they  have  gone,  unless  they  had  flown  or  made  a 
swim  for  it,  which,  peradventure,  was  not  like  to  be 
the  case. 

"And  thou  chosest  to  stand  by  the  ship !  Sooth, 
thou  shouldst  have  been  a  captain  and  not  a  priest," 
said  the  officer.  "  Would  that  all  our  men  showed 
such  devotion ! " 


320  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

"  Thou  art  the  captain  of  the  galley  Cristobaly 
senor.  Is  it  not  so  ?  Have  I  not  seen  thee  ?  "  I 
made  return. 

"  I  am  the  second  in  command,  Padre." 

"  Wilt  thou  set  me  on  shore  at  once,  good  sir, 
and  take  possession  here,  for  I  must  make  report 
of  what  has  befallen,"  I  ventured,  hoping  that  I 
might  escape  ere  they  found  out  the  imposture  I 
was  playing. 

"  That,  with  pleasure,  as  soon  as  possible.  Padre ; 
but  we  have  need  of  thee  on  the  galley ;  our  captain 
lies  there  grievously  wounded  —  the  only  one  that 
suffered  harm,  and  that  by  a  chance  shot  —  a  curse 
on  the  head  of  him  who  fired  it !  " 

I  pondered  a  moment.  It  was  a  position  that 
had  been  forced  upon  me,  but  I  blenched  at  the 
thought  of  carrying  it  so  far  as  to  pretend  to  shrive 
a  dying  man.  It  revolted  me.  And  should  I  be 
discovered,  my  fate  would  be  one  to  shudder  at. 

"  Come,"  went  on  the  young  officer, "  let  us  make 
haste,  for  our  brother  needs  the  rites  and  services 
of  the  Church." 

Out  on  deck  we  went,  I  loosening  my  girdle 
and  preparing  to  leap  overboard,  hoping  in  the 
darkness  and  confusion  to  escape,  or  at  least,  if 
caught,  to  perish  fighting.  The  flames  from  the 
burning  Spanish  ships  lit  the  sky  to  the  north  and 
east,  but  how  it  had  fared  with  our  vessels  1  could 


On  Spanish  Soil  321 

not  tell.  The  galley  was  working  in  toward  the 
city,  and  there  was  a  great  fog  of  cannon  smoke 
hanging  over  the  water  and  stenching  the  air,  and 
one's  hearing  was  assailed  by  a  turmoil  of  shouts, 
drums,  and  bell-ringing,  enough  to  free  the  whole 
coast  of  witches. 

I  was  hanging  back,  having  noticed  that  there  was 
now  a  small  boat  at  the  gangway,  when  some  one 
hailed  from  the  galley. 

"  Drop  anchor  where  you  are,  senor,"  was  the 
order.     "  We  are  safe  under  the  castle." 

Looking  up,  I  could  see  the  black  mass  of  the 
cliff  and  a  flash  ever  and  anon  as  the  Matagorda 
continued  winging  useless  shots  out  into  the  dark- 
ness. We  let  go  a  spare  anchor  and  hove  up  short. 
This  done,  the  officer  turned  to  me. 

"  Into  the  boat.  Padre,"  he  said  quietly,  and  then 
lifting  up  his  voice,  he  called :  "  On  board  the 
Cristobal!  —  How  fares  it  with  Captain  Madrazo  ? 
—  We  have  a  priest  here." 

The  answer  that  came  back  made  hope  grow  in 
my  heart. 

"He  has  yielded  the  spirit.  He  is  dead,  sir  — 
you  are  too  late." 

"  God  rest  his  soul,"  said  the  officer,  piously  cross- 
ing himself,  and  I  replied  with  a  fervent  "  amen  " 
and  mumbled  more  Latin  that  was  nevertheless  a 
prayer. 


322  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

"  We  were,  alas,  too  late,"  said  the  officer,  when 
he  had  waited  apparently  for  me  to  finish. 

"  Too  late,"  I  repeated,  "  alas,  too  late  !  —  And 
now  wilt  thou  crave  permission  that  I  may  be  landed, 
senor  ?  for  there  is  much  for  me  to  do."  What  it 
was  I  could  not  have  told  for  the  life  of  me.  I  had 
formed  no  plan,  but  hoped  to  reach  such  a  point 
that  I  might  swim  off  to  our  ships  if  any  were  left 
atop  the  water.  "  I  must  see  the  Bishop,"  I  added 
at  last,  seeing  he  paused.  "  Ask  the  officer  who  has 
control,  for  leave  to  set  me  on  shore  and  I  will  bless 
thee." 

"  There  is  no  one  to  crave  leave  of  but  myself," 
was  the  return  I  had  expected.  (I  had  touched  his 
pride.)  "I  am  only  too  glad  to  grant  it.  Padre; 
pray  for  Spain,  for  this  is  a  black  hour  for  the  faith 
and  for  the  King." 

Saying  this,  he  ordered  the  men  below  in  the 
small  boat  to  haul  in  and  to  obey  my  wishes  as  to 
where  I  should  be  landed,  and  to  return  at  once. 
And  as  I  went  over  the  side  he  asked  for  my  bless- 
ing, saying  that  there  would  be  "  more  fighting " ; 
and  I  blessed  him  from  the  depth  of  my  heart. 

When  the  boat  had  landed  me,  I  found  myself 
at  the  foot  of  a  crowded  street  filled  with  townsfolk 
and  soldiery.  Every  one  was  talking  to  no  end, 
and  running  to  and  fro  to  no  purpose,  some 
declaring  that  the  place  would  be  sacked,  that  the 


On  Spanish  Soil  323 

English  would  land  ere  morning.  Many  people  I 
saw  laden  down  with  their  household  goods  and 
treasures,  and  crying  to  all  to  save  themselves  and 
escape  now.  I  have  always  held  that  though  the 
Spaniards  are  brave  at  times  in  a  way,  when  once 
on  the  run  there  is  no  rallying  them.  Had  Drake 
the  force  to  land  that  night,  Cadiz  would  have  been 
his ;  for  there  were  rumors  spreading  that  our  fleet 
was  of  eighty  sail,  instead  of  less  than  a  third  that 
number,  and  that  the  whole  of  the  army  of  Flanders 
was  with  us.     But  to  return  to  myself. 

It  seemed  to  me  that  every  one  I  met  could  see 
through  my  disguise,  had  he  taken  pains  to  look, 
and  from  time  to  time,  cold  chills  passed  through 
my  marrow ;  my  feet  I  could  scarce  keep  from  run- 
ning, and  I  kept  looking  for  a  hiding-place  —  grip- 
ping tight  my  dagger  beneath  my  gown  and  fearing 
a  challenge  every  minute.  But  no  one  paid  heed  to 
me,  and  turning  from  one  street  to  another  (as  I  kept 
away  from  the  water-front  the  crowds  grew  less),  I 
soon  found  myself  in  an  open  plaza  that  I  knew  was 
in  the  richest  portion  of  the  town ;  for  I  saw  the 
surrounding  palaces  and  hard  by  the  lifting  towers 
of  the  cathedral.  The  cannonading  had  ceased,  and, 
save  for  the  flares  that  lit  the  harbor  below,  and  a 
hoarse  murmur  of  voices  that  came  up  on  the  breeze, 
the  place  looked  to  be  deserted ;  yet  I  dared  not  sit 
me    down,    but   continued   walking  —  bending   my 


324  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

steps  to  the  wharves  again  and  hoping  to  find  a 
place  where  I  could  slip  happily  unseen  into  the 
water,  or  secure  a  boat  in  which  I  might  put  out  and 
seek  the  fleet.  As  I  turned  away  from  the  broad 
avenue,  all  at  once  I  heard  the  sound  of  hoofs  and 
the  rumble  of  wheels,  and  looking  round  I  perceived 
a  great  coach,  with  lamps  blazing,  with  one  man 
driving  and  no  outriders,  coming  toward  me  at  a 
furious  pace.  I  noticed  that  the  great  vehicle  was 
swaying  from  side  to  side  like  a  Dutchman  in  a  sea- 
way, and  I  saw  that  the  front  wheel  was  canted 
badly  and  swung  loosely  on  the  axle.  As  it  clat- 
tered past,  the  driver  cut  the  horses  a  swinge  with 
his  whip ;  they  gave  a  mad  leap  forward,  and  as  if 
brought  down  by  a  shot,  one  of  the  leaders  tumbled 
headlong,  the  wheel  flew  off  at  the  same  instant, 
narrowly  missing  bowling  me  over  like  a  ninepin, 
and  with  a  crash  the  coach  lurched  over  on  its  side ! 
The  driver  pitched  forward  into  the  road  and  lay 
there  senseless,  and  the  horses  plunging  and  strug- 
gling started  to  drag  the  wreck  down  the  dim-lighted 
avenue.  I  had  been  so  startled  at  the  swiftness  with 
which  the  whole  afiair  had  taken  place  that  I  had 
remained  crowded  against  the  wall  where  I  had 
jumped  to  avoid  the  beasts'  heels,  when  I  heard  a 
woman's  scream,  and  at  the  door  of  the  coach,  the 
glass  of  which  had  been  shattered,  appeared  a  fright- 
ened face  ! 


On  Spanish  Soil  325 

Instantly  I  sprang  out  and,  dashing  forward,  I 
grasped  the  leaders*  heads,  for  the  fallen  animal  had 
gained  his  legs,  and,  using  all  my  strength,  I 
brought  them  to  a  halt.  But  they  were  still  rearing 
and  plunging,  and  I  feared  to  drop  them  and  go  to 
the  help  of  the  lady  imprisoned  in  the  coach.  But 
soon  the  door  pushed  open,  and  a  tall  figure  in 
a  long  silk  cloak  stepped  out.  As  she  came  trem- 
bling toward  me,  I  saw  it  was  a  young  girl,  whose 
pallor  and  fright  could  not  conceal  her  great  beauty, 
that  the  darkness  could  not  hide  from  sight.  Her 
mass  of  raven  black  hair  had  become  unfastened 
and  streamed  about  her  shoulders,  and  her  dark 
eyes  were  big  with  terror. 

"  Oh,  good  Father !  "  she  cried,  "  what  shall  I  do  ! 
I  fear  that  my  mother,  who  is  with  me,  is  surely 
killed.  Padre ;  and  our  servant  Miguel  is  dead. 
Where  shall  I  go  for  help  ?  tell  me,  what  shall 
I  do  ? " 

I  could  not  tell  her,  for  I  was  in  as  great  a  quan- 
dary as  she  was,  and  I  was  casting  about  for  some- 
thing to  say,  when  the  coachman  lifted  himself  on 
his  elbow  and  gave  a  hollow  groan.  The  young 
lady  instantly  ran  to  him,  but  before  she  could 
assist  him,  he  arose  and  staggered  upright.  I  saw 
that  the  fellow  was  still  dazed,  but  that  his  senses 
were  coming  to  him,  and  so  I  called  him  by  the 
name  I  had  heard  the  young  lady  use,  and  bade 


20.6  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

him  take  my  place  and  hold  the  horses.  He 
obeyed,  still  rubbing  his  cracked  pate,  and  I  went 
back  to  where  the  senorita  was  standing  half  in,  half 
out  of  the  carriage. 

"Can  I  be  of  help,  my  fair  —  daughter,"  I  added 
hurriedly,  just  checking  myself  in  the  middle  of  my 
best  court  bow. 

"Thank  thee  kindly.  Padre,"  the  young  lady 
returned  over  her  shoulder.  "  My  mother  seems 
unhurt,  she  had  but  fainted.  —  It  is  a  priest  of 
the  Order  of  St.  Joseph,  who  stopped  the  horses 
and  saved  our  lives,"  she  continued,  talking  to 
some  one  inside  the  coach.  "  Stay,  he  will  help 
thee  out.  This  ends  our  journey ;  we  must  turn 
back  to  the  palace;  the  coach  is  broken.  But, 
thank  God,  none  of  us  is  killed." 

I  hastened  forward,  and  with  some  little  difficulty 
I  helped  a  tall,  handsome  woman  to  crawl  forth  and 
alight.  As  the  rays  from  the  coach  lamp  fell  upon 
her  face,  I  started.  It  was  the  Lady  of  the  Pearls  — 
a  little  stouter,  but  still  beautiful.  But  none  other, 
Donna  Maria  de  Valdez !  I  knew  her  at  a  glance. 
In  my  astonishment,  and  before  I  could  control 
myself,  I  had  exclaimed  her  name. 

"  You  know  me.  Padre  ?  "  asked  Donna  Maria, 
as  she  still  held  my  hand. 

"  A  long  time  ago,  I  once  saw  thee  —  in  another 
life." 


On  Spanish  Soil  327 

"Thy  voice  is  familiar  —  what  name  art  thou 
known  by  ? " 

"  Father  Marteo." 

She  repeated  the  name  while  the  young  lady  stood 
by  and  watched  us.  Suddenly  at  the  foot  of  the 
street  there  appeared  a  number  of  torches  flaring  in 
moving  lines,  and  I  saw  that  they  were  carried  by 
marching  men,  and  that  they  were  nearing,  for  the 
tapping  of  a  drum  could  be  plainly  heard. 

Miguel  the  servant  called  out  from  where  he  was 
standing,  "  Here  come  foot-soldiers !  they  may  be 
the  English  !  I  pray  thee  hasten,  madam  ;  the  Padre 
will  see  thee  to  a  place  of  shelter  whilst  I  save  the 
horses." 

"  Fear  not,  madam,*'  I  interposed,  "  they  are  not 
English,  but  I  am  at  thy  service  if  thou  wilt  accept 
such  escort  as  I  offer." 

"  Oh,  could  we  but  go  on,"  said  Donna  Maria, 
wringing  her  shapely  hands.  "  If  we  could  but 
right  the  coach  and  leave  the  city." 

"  We  might  try,"  said  I,  "  if  one  of  you  fair  ladies 
could  see  to  the  horses  so  the  man  might  help  me." 

I  had  dropped  my  priestly  manner  and  thought 
no  more  of  my  disguise,  forgetting  all  in  the  strange- 
ness of  the  adventure. 

"  I  will  hold  them,"  said  the  young  girl,  stepping 
boldly  forward  and  taking  the  place  of  Miguel,  who, 
at  a  word,  returned  to  me  and  asked  what  he  should 


328  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

do.  Showing  him  where  the  missing  wheel  had 
lodged,  we  rolled  it  up. 

"  But  how,  good  Father,  shall  we  set  it  in  its  place  ?" 
he  asked. 

"  Make  ready  with  it  and  stand  by  handsomely," 
I  returned.     "  1  am  going  to  lift  the  coach  !  " 

I  have  heard  of  such  straining  as  I  put  my  back 
to  shortening  men's  lives.  So  far  as  I  know,  it  has 
not  hampered  mine  as  yet.  But  I  have  made  no 
such  heft  before  nor  since.  But  the  wheel  went 
on. 

"  And  how  shall  we  keep  the  wheel  on  the  axle. 
Padre  ? "  questioned  Miguel.  "  The  pin  is  miss- 
ing; 'twas  that  doubtless  which  first  caused  the 
trouble." 

"  Go  to  the  horses'  heads,  my  son,"  said  I,  not 
answering;  and  as  soon  as  he  had  left  I  drew  the 
dagger  from  inside  my  gown,  and  sUpping  the  point 
into  the  slot  where  the  pin  had  been,  I  drove  it 
home,  and  with  a  twist  broke  the  blade  short  off. 
I  turned  and  saw  that  Donna  Maria  was  watching. 
The  cowl  had  fallen  back  from  my  head,  and  she 
gazed  straight  at  me. 

"Thou  art  no  priest !  "  she  said;  "  who  art  thou  ? " 

The  drum  was  almost  upon  us,  and  the  tramping 
of  the  soldiers'  feet  rang  on  the  stones ;  another 
twenty  paces  and  they  would  be  abreast  of  us.  I 
cast  my  die. 


On  Spanish  Soil  329 

"  I  am  an  Englishman  whose  life  is  forfeit,"  said 
I,  quickly.  "  For  the  sake  of  any  of  his  countrymen 
who  may  have  served  thee  —  " 

"  Draw  up  thy  hood,"  said  Donna  Maria,  quickly. 
"  Make  haste  —  draw  up  thy  hood !  " 


CHAPTER  XXXII 

OLD    FRIENDS 


T  the  head  of  the  approaching  band  of 
foot-soldiers  rode  a  man  on  a  prancing 
black   charger.       He   was    evidently   an 

'    officer  of  some  rank,  for  the  trappings 

of  the  saddle  and  bridle  reins  were  resplendent  with 
gold  and  silver,  and  the  huge  spurs  he  wore  jingled 
like  a  chime  of  bells.  Seeing  the  coach  drawn  up 
by  the  wayside  and  the  two  ladies  standing  by  the 
open  door,  he  approached,  and  lifting  the  great 
plumed  hat,  made  a  sweeping  bow.  It  was  evident 
that  at  first  he  had  not  recognized  the  little  party, 
for  an  expression  of  surprise  crossed  his  face  as  he 
came  near,  and  I  saw  a  flash  of  anger  in  Donna 
Maria's  eyes  as  she  regarded  him.  As  soon  as  the 
man  spoke,  I  knew  him,  and  there  came  back  to 
me  the  day  when,  save  for  her  interference,  his 
dagger  would  have  cut  this  tale  exceeding  short. 
It  was  Don  Lopez,  and  that  he  had  not  improved 
his  standing  in  the  lady's  eyes  was  evident  from  the 
manner  in  which  she  received  his  speech. 

"  Ah,  Donna  Maria,"  said  he,  smiling  and  show- 
ing his  handsome  teeth.    "  Have  the  English  driven 

330 


Old  Friends  331 

thee  from  Cadiz  ?  Art  thou  in  great  fear,  that  thou 
shouldst  take  thy  departure  so  suddenly  ? " 

The  lady  looked  at  him  scornfully.  "  Thou 
knowest  well,  Don  Lopez,  that  I  am  not  the  kind 
that  fears  mere  rumors.  I  am  called  away  to  Val- 
liera  by  the  illness  of  a  relative,  and  when  your  men 
have  passed,  I  should  like  well  to  proceed,  for  time 
presses." 

We  were  by  this  time  surrounded  by  a  crowd  of 
soldiers,  torch-bearers,  and  a  rabble  of  town's  folk, 
who  elbowed  up  about  us,  eager  to  hear  what  was 
passing,  the  flickering  light  reflecting  from  their 
gorming  faces.  The  officer  cleared  a  space  by  back- 
ing his  horse  and  swinging  about  him  with  the  flat 
of  his  sword.  At  the  same  time  he  was  ordering  the 
procession  to  take  up  the  march,  saying  that  he 
would  join  them. 

"  And  do  you  travel  alone  when  making  so  far  a 
journey  ? "  went  on  Don  Lopez ;  "  thou  shouldst 
have  an  escort  surely." 

"  Padre  Marteo  is  with  me,"  said  Donna  Maria, 
indicating  me  with  a  glance. 

"  So,  thy  confessor !  But  thou  shouldst  have  a 
guard,  or  at  least  a  good  sword  at  thy  disposal. 
There  are  many  soldiers  and  rough-mannered  folk 
to  be  met  with  on  the  road.  Would  that  I  were 
not  on  such  pressing  business  and  I  would  give  thee 
safe  conduct." 


^^2  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

"  We  need  none,"  answered  Donna  Maria,  coldly, 
"  and  at  Lagos  I  meet  my  brother." 

The  officer  did  not  appear  to  be  at  all  put  out, 
but  turning  to  the  young  lady,  he  leaned  forward 
in  his  saddle  and  spoke,  half  to  her.  "And  art 
thou  going  to  rob  us  of  Donna  Inez,  the  fairest 
flower  of  Cadiz  ?  "  he  said  gallantly.  "  Stay  with  us, 
I  pray  thee,  senorita.  Thou  wilt  be  missed  when 
the  Duke  reviews  his  victorious  forces  on  the 
morrow." 

"  Victorious  !  "  exclaimed  Donna  Maria.  "  Have 
we  then  gained  a  victory  ?  " 

"We  have  driven  the  English  from  the  bay, 
sunk  most  of  their  ships,  and  ere  noon  to-morrow 
we  will  have  their  crews  and  leaders  paraded  through 
our  streets  in  chains." 

Donna  Maria  cast  a  swift  glance  at  me.  I  felt 
my  heart  sink  at  the  officer's  words.  Had  Drake 
at  last  paid  the  penalty  of  his  rashness  ?  Had  his 
self-confidence  wrought  his  destruction  ?  How  the 
Vice- Admiral  would  vaunt  himself!  The  dangers 
of  my  position  were  now  increased  tenfold.  If  it 
were  true  that  our  forces  had  been  defeated,  or 
were  even  compelled  to  withdraw  from  the  waters, 
my  plight  would  be  a  sorry  one,  for  I  felt  certain 
that  in  broad  daylight  my  disguise  would  betray  me, 
if  merely  for  the  fact  that  my  heavy  sea-boots  kept 
peeping  from  below  the  hem  of  my  monk's  habit, 


Old  Friends  ^^^ 

and  that  my  head  lacked  the  shaven  tonsure  of  the 
priest.  I  had  in  my  doublet  but  a  few  pieces  of 
money,  and  they  were  English  —  sufficient  in  them- 
selves to  cast  me  into  prison,  should  I  try  to  spend 
them.  But  I  had  forgotten  what  I  knew  of  the 
Spanish  character ;  I  failed  to  remember  that  a  re- 
port of  victory  with  them  is  the  usual  way  of  intro- 
ducing news  of  sore  defeat. 

"  Heaven  grant  that  what  thou  hast  told  is  true," 
said  Donna  Maria,  replying  after  a  pause  to  the 
officer's  last  words.  "  There  must  have  been  brave 
fighting,  for  I  have  seen  the  English  with  their 
swords  drawn,  and  it  is  abroad  that  Admiral  Drake, 
who  scorched  us  so  in  the  western  seas,  now  leads 
them." 

"  Pah  ! "  cried  the  officer,  waving  his  hand.  "  We 
will  see  him  with  a  Spanish  rope  hanging  above  his 
head,  unless  the  Bishop  desires  to  reason  with  him 
in  the  cell." 

I  shuddered  as  I  thought  of  our  brave  leader 
meeting  such  a  fate,  and  I  remembered  the  horror 
of  the  hour  that  I  had  spent  before  the  black-gowned 
tribunal  when  I  was  a  child;  but  it  was  evident  that 
Donna  Maria  wished  to  enter  little  into  this,  for  she 
spoke  abruptly. 

"  We  must  be  going  on,  Don  Lopez,"  she  said. 
"  We  must  no  longer  detain  you." 

The  officer  slid  from  his  horse,  and  slipping  the 


334  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

bridle  through  his  arm,  with  a  show  of  gallantry, 
opened  the  coach  door  and  giving  his  hand,  first  to 
Donna  Maria,  then  to  the  young  lady,  helped  them 
in.  I  stood  there,  not  knowing  what  to  do,  and 
hoping  that  the  deep  shadow  of  the  cowl  hid  my 
features,  so  that  Don  Lopez  might  not  recognize 
me.     Donna  Maria  leaned  forward. 

"  Come,  Padre  Marteo  ;  we  must  be  pushing  on." 
She  made  a  motion  for  me  to  enter,  and  I  stepped 
past  the  Don,  who  had  not  considered  me  worthy 
the  slightest  regard,  I  take  it,  and  closed  the  door. 
He  stepped  to  the  window. 

"I  hope,"  said  he,  "that  I  may  sometime  win  a 
gracious  look  or  word.  May  I  deserve  it  is  my 
hourly  prayer."  He  pressed  the  lady's  hand  to  his 
lips,  then  making  a  sweeping  bow,  he  mounted  his 
horse  and  cantered  up  the  street  just  as  Miguel 
touched  our  leaders  with  his  whip  and  the  heavy 
coach  took  motion.  Donna  Maria  thrust  her  head 
out  of  the  window. 

"  Drive  fast,"  she  said,  "  and  avoid  the  crowded 
streets.     Go  out  the  eastern  gate  ! " 

We  rumbled  on  at  an  ever  increasing  pace.  I 
knew  not  v/herc  our  destination  might  be,  nor  did  I 
much  care.  I  had  found  the  only  comfort  of  one  in 
such  stress  as  mine,  and  that  was  —  friends.  It  was 
a  strange  position,  sitting  there  in  the  darkness  with 
I  knew  not  what  before  me.     It  was  like  dreaming, 


Old  Friends  335 

but  Donna  Maria  broke  the  silence,  speaking  at  first 
with  effort. 

"  So  Fate  has,  at  last,  good  sir,  given  me  chance 
to  repay  thy  kindness  to  me  when  I  was  in  distress. 
I  have  almost  prayed  for  such  a  day,  for,  believe  me, 
it  is  not  true  that  women  are  most  prone  to  forget 
such  things,  and  it  rejoiceth  me  that  in  some  meas- 
ure I  can  repay  the  debt  I  owe  thee." 

"  But  the  payment  is  out  of  all  seeming,  and  I 
can  see  in  what  danger  your  generosity  will  place 
you  both.  So  I  pray  thee,  madam,  consider  me 
not  at  all  in  the  matter,  and  set  me  down  outside 
the  city,  where,  mayhap,  I  can  work  my  way  to  a 
place  of  safety.  I  speak  your  language  well,  and 
know  the  manners  of  the  country." 

"Say  no  more  in  this  fashion,  sir,"  Donna  Maria 
cried,  "but  give  me  time  to  think,  to  use  my 
woman's  wit.  I  fain  would  believe  that  I  see  the 
way  clear  to  bring  matters  to  a  safe  conclusion." 
Then  the  tones  of  her  voice  changed,  and  she  leaned 
forward  and  touched  me  gently.  "  Dost  thou  know 
who  is  sitting  here  beside  me  ? "  she  asked. 

"  I  have  half  guessed,  madam,"  I  replied,  "  but 
time  that  has  dealt  so  lightly  with  thee,  has  wrought 
wondrous  changes  elsewhere." 

"  Inez,"  said  Donna  Maria,  turning  to  the  young 
girl,  "rememberest  thou  the  kind  gentleman  who 
plunged  into  the  water  and  drew  thee  forth  when 


^2^  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

we  were  held  prisoners  by  the  English,  and  who 
returned  us  to  our  home  ?  We  have  often  spoken 
of  it." 

"  Indeed,  I  do,  madre,  and  I  remember  how  we 
landed  and  how  he  and  his  men  refused  the  pearls, 
and  all  of  it/' 

Somehow  the  musical  tones  of  the  voice  thrilled 
me  through  and  through.  They  had  in  them 
that  peculiar  quality,  the  very  sound  of  which, 
falling  from  a  woman's  tongue,  toucheth  a  man's 
heart. 

"  The  young  man  who  rendered  us  such  service 
sits  here  with  us.  He  saved  our  lives,  and  now  I 
believe  that  his  is  in  our  keeping.  We  shall  not 
betray  the  trust." 

"  Indeed,  we  shall  not,  madre ;  if  we  answer 
with  our  own."  Her  tones  trembled  as  she  spoke, 
and  my  heart  leaped  faster. 

"  But  I  cannot  accept  such  chance  of  sacrifice,"  I 
cried.  "  And  thinking  coolly,  I  see  no  way  but  for 
us  to  part  company,  and  so  I  entreat  that  I  should 
leave  you." 

"That  thou  shalt  not,"  cried  the  young  girl, 
warmly.  "  Let  me  prove  now  how  great  are  the 
thanks  that  I  owe  to  thee ;  as  a  woman  I  can  tell 
thee ;  I  could  not  voice  my  gratitude  as  a  child ! 
Stay ! "  she  added  suddenly.  "  An  idea  has  come 
to  me,  that  put  in  practice  will  solve  our  quandary : 


Old  Friends  337 

In  the  big  box  that  we  are  bringing  to  my  uncle  is 
the  uniform  of  a  commandant  of  Horse.  'Twould 
fit  the  senor  bravely,  methinks." 

"  Wouldst  thou  turn  from  priest  to  soldier  ?  '* 
asked  Donna  Maria,  half  laughing.  "Thy  beard 
and  features  fit  best  to  the  latter." 

"  More  than  willingly,"  said  I,  "  for  I  confess 
that  my  heart  and  mind  are  given  more  to  the 
sword  than  my  appearance  to  the  cassock.  But 
who  will  I  appear  to  be  ?  and  what  part  will  I  play  ? 
and  is  not  this  risking  much  also  ? " 

"  Nothing  is  easier,"  interposed  Donna  Maria, 
answering  all  my  questions  at  once.  "Thou  wilt 
be  a  distant  relation  of  ours,  an  officer  of  the  King, 
who  has  volunteered  to  conduct  us  on  our  journey." 

"  And  whither  may  that  be  ?  "  I  questioned. 

"  To  our  castle  at  Valliera,"  was  the  answer. 
"  But  at  Lagos  I  meet  my  brother,  Don  Vincent  de 
Valdez." 

"  Valliera  !  De  Valdez  !  As  a  boy  I  lived  there 
on  the  estates  of  Vertendonna,  the  lord  of  whom 
married  my  mother  after  my  father's  death.  She 
was  a  De  Valdez." 

"Tell  me  thy  story  !  "  said  Donna  Maria,  breath- 
lessly. And  sitting  there  in  the  darkness  I  told 
them  what  the  reader  already  knows,  except  that  I 
passed  quickly  over  the  years  that  I  had  spent  since 
I  had  last  seen  them,  and  that  I  had  employed  in 


338  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

making  chess  moves  in  the  game  that  the  Queen 
played  at  court. 

When  I  had  finished  the  lady  took  my  hand. 
"  Thou  knowest  well,  senor,  what  the  ties  of  kin- 
ship and  the  claims  of  hospitality  mean  here  in 
Spain.  My  husband  is  dead,  but  his  brother  shall 
hear  what  you  have  to  tell,  and  be  assured  that  he 
will  be  as  one  of  us,  and  that  his  life  and  fortune 
will  be  at  thy  disposal." 

It  was  growing  daylight,  and  we  were  on  a  wide, 
level  road  that  skirted  the  Northern  Inlet  not  many 
miles  beyond  Port  St.  Mary. 

"  We  are  nearing  the  hostelry  where  we  change 
horses,"  said  Donna  Maria,  peering  out  of  the 
window,  "and  there  we  will  have  the  box  brought 
in,  and  thou  canst  make  thy  shift  of  habit." 

"  Had  we  best  not  take  Miguel  into  the  secret?" 
I  asked,  "for  what  will  he  think  at  my  sudden 
change  of  calling  ?  " 

"  Miguel  is  a  good  servant,"  put  in  Donna 
Maria,  "and  good  servants  in  Spain  hear  and  see 
nothing,  so  perhaps  it  might  be  best  that  thou 
shouldst  doff  thy  disguise  now ;  surely  a  country 
innkeeper  would  not  recognize  that  thou  wert 
English." 

It  was  quite  daylight  now,  and  I  had  thrown 
back  my  hood,  for  it  was  hot.  Donna  Inez  looked 
at  me  with  a  half  smile  in  her  eyes. 


Old  Friends  339 

"  I  fear  that  others  might  see  the  difference/*  she 
said ;  "  for,  if  I  may  be  pardoned  the  hberty,  such 
light  hair  and  beard  are  seldom  seen  in  Spain." 

I  blushed,  I  must  confess,  to  the  very  roots  of 
the  hair  she  had  referred  to,  which  in  those  days, 
before  the  gray  had  invaded  it,  was  the  color  of 
corn  in  reaping  time.  Donna  Maria  also  looked  at 
me  and  laughed.  "  We  can  soon  change  that,  me- 
thinks,"  she  said,  blushing  herself,  and  then  she 
added :  "  I  am  sure  my  cousin  will  be  discreet." 

I  slipped  out  of  the  coarse  woollen  gown,  and 
was  glad  to  free  myself  of  its  heavy  folds,  but  the 
clothes  that  I  wore  were  bedraggled  and  yet  damp 
from  my  plunge  in  the  bay,  and  I  was  glad  of  the 
prospect  of  getting  into  dry  ones.  Somehow  a  great 
elation  was  growing  in  my  breast!  The  glamour  of 
the  adventure  filled  me  with  a  joy  I  could  scarce 
keep  from  expressing,  and  the  presence  of  my  fair 
companions  was  a  strong  incentive  to  the  elevation 
of  my  spirits. 

"  Here  we  are,  at  last,"  exclaimed  Donna  Maria ; 
and  as  she  spoke  the  horses  turned,  and  we  drew  up 
into  the  courtyard  of  a  wayside  inn.  At  Donna 
Maria's  suggestion  I  had  muffled  up  my  face  in  a 
kerchief  as  were  I  suffering  from  an  aching  tooth, 
and,  followed  by  a  servant  bearing  a  big  box,  we 
entered  and  called  for  rooms.  Once  in  my  own 
apartment,  that  luckily  boasted  of  a  mirror,  I  dis- 


340  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

missed  the  man,  closed  the  door,  and  blocked  the 
keyhole;  then  I  unwrapped  a  small  package  that 
Donna  Maria  had  taken  from  her  travelling-pouch 
and  had  slipped  into  my  hand.  I  remembered, 
also,  the  few  words  she  had  whispered  in  my  ear, 
and  I  could  not  help  but  smile.  Opening  the  long 
box,  the  first  thing  that  met  my  eyes  was  a  hand- 
some Toledo  blade  lying  at  top  of  some  fine  suits 
of  clothing;  there  were  a  doublet  of  embroidered 
velvet,  and  trunks  and  hose  of  silk.  Even  a  small 
Spanish  hat  with  a  jewelled  buckle  and  a  plume  was 
there,  and  long  boots  of  a  quality  we  never  see  in 
England.  As  I  laid  out  all  this  bravery,  I  was  as 
pleased  as  a  young  girl  who  gazed  at  a  new  satin 
gown,  for  men  are  vain  creatures,  after  all !  Then 
once  more  I  looked  in  the  mirror  and  drew  my  face 
awry. 

In  half  an  hour,  had  any  one  been  listening  at  the 
keyhole,  they  might  have  heard  some  laughter,  but 
it  was  checked  by  loud  knocking,  and  a  voice  ex- 
claiming that  the  ladies  were  awaiting  me  at  breakfast. 

When  the  ladies  left  the  inn  to  reenter  their 
coach,  at  which  were  four  fresh  horses,  they  were 
accompanied  by  a  cavalier  with  jet-black  hair  and  a 
beard  like  a  raven's  wing.  I  had  learned  the  secret 
of  how  Donna  Maria's  glossy  locks  still  kept  their 
pristine  color ! 


Old  Friends  341 

"  And  what  do  you  think  of  it  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  To  be  truthful,"  returned  Donna  Maria,  "  I 
liked  thee  better  as  thou  wert  before." 

"Thou  wouldst  scarcely  know  the  Mank,  callow 
youth '  now,"  I  returned,  remembering  the  words 
she  had  once  applied  to  me. 

"  No,"  she  answered,  "  that  I  would  not." 

"  Is  it  an  improvement  ?  "  I  asked,  turning  to 
Donna  Inez. 

She  said  nothing,  but  gazed  out  of  the  window. 


CHAPTER   XXXIII 

AN   ANCIENT    ENEMY 

HE  gentleman  who  met  us  at  Lagos  was 
not  the  brother  of  Donna  Maria,  as  I 
had  been  led  to  expect,  but  a  brother  of 
her  late  husband.  Governor  De  Valdez, 
our  "  kind  friend  "  of  Nombre  de  Dios,  and  thus, 
of  course,  he  was  a  first  cousin  of  my  mother's,  and 
this  we  found  out  after  a  minute's  talk  in  which  I 
told  him  of  my  family. 

But  there  had  been  one  thing  agreed  upon,  be- 
tween the  ladies  and  myself,  before  we  had  arrived 
at  Lagos,  and  that  was  that  we  would  tell  Don 
Vincent  but  part  of  the  story,  and  to  him  it  was 
confided  that  I  was  lately  come  from  the  West 
Indies,  that  I  was  of  truth  more  English  than  Span- 
ish, and  that  I  was,  of  course,  a  Protestant.  He 
was  also  told  that  if  my  identity  should  be  discov- 
ered, my  life  would  be  in  danger;  but  one  thing 
they  let  out  no  inkling  of,  and  that  was  that  I  was 
one  of  the  marauders  that  had  fallen  on  the  coast. 

Don  Vincent  was  a  well-mannered^  mild-eyed 
little  man,  more  scholar  than  soldier,  and  after  hear- 

34a 


An  Ancient  Enemy  343 

ing  the  tale  of  his  sister-in-law,  and  on  top  of  that  my 
own  story,  he  insisted  upon  embracing  me  and  ac- 
knowledged our  relationship  with  warmth.  He  gave 
me  welcome  in  the  Spanish  fashion  —  everything  he 
had  was  mine  to  command,  and  I  had  "  but  to  voice 
my  wishes."  He  promised  to  see  that  in  some  way 
I  reached  England  after  the  excitement  that  attended 
the  unexpected  English  raid  had  died  away.  What 
a  strange  people  are  these  Spanish !  The  Grandees 
are  proud,  ambitious,  but  indolent,  and  the  common 
folk,  in  the  main,  are  happy  and  comfort-loving, 
craving  plenty  of  food  and  sleep,  cherishing  music, 
dancing,  and  gay  colors.  But  what  great  things  has 
this  nation  done !  And  how  these  people  have 
spread  their  language  o*er  the  world !  But  this  is 
again  a  digression,  and  I  must  pick  up  the  severed 
threads  of  my  story. 

My  mind  was  in  a  strange  condition,  and  my  heart 
was  also,  for  certain  reasons,  as  it  may  be  guessed. 
I  was  in  great  anxiety  to  find  out  what  had  be- 
come of  my  companions,  and  as  I  dwelt  more  upon 
the  subject,  I  could  not  believe  that  Sir  Francis  had 
met  with  such  dire  misfortune  as  had  been  repre- 
sented. I  reasoned  that  I  had  been  too  ready  in 
accepting  as  true  what  Don  Lopez  had  told  us;  but 
as  we  had  pressed  ahead  through  the  country,  we 
had  found  no  news  to  controvert  it;  in  fact,  in 
many  places  we  bore  the  first  tidings  of  the  attack 


344  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

and  the  "  victory/*  and  Donna  Maria  seemed  to 
take  a  special  pride  in  telling  of  the  defeat  of  the 
English.  But  she  did  not  do  this  to  hurt  my  feel- 
ings—  not  at  all;  she  did  it  because  it  rejoiced  her 
that  her  countrymen  should  have  shown  such  prow- 
ess. Before  we  had  reached  Lagos  we  had  much 
opportunity  for  talking,  and  I  learned  why  it  was 
that  Donna  Maria  had  been  so  anxious  to  depart 
from  Cadiz.  The  illness  of  her  relative  was  an 
invention  of  the  moment.  It  was  to  escape  the 
attentions  of  Don  Lopez  that  she  had  undertaken 
the  journey.  This  gentleman  had  brought  great 
pressure  to  bear  in  the  furtherance  of  his  suit  for 
the  hand  of  the  wealthiest  widow  in  Spain.  He 
was  a  nephew  of  the  Bishop,  and  a  favorite  with  the 
King.  I  believe,  had  it  not  been  for  the  affair  of 
the  pearls,  he  might  have  succeeded  in  gaining 
favor  in  the  lady's  eyes,  but  this  matter  he  could 
not  explain  away,  do  his  best.  And  he  had  used 
no  little  wit  in  order  to  accomplish  the  end,  explain- 
ing that  he  had  taken  the  jewels  from  the  place 
where,  forsooth !  I  had  hidden  them,  after  having 
watched  me  abstract  them  from  the  cabin,  so  I  owed 
him  another  grudge  in  addition  to  the  debt  that  I 
hoped  to  pay  some  day,  if  fate  threw  us  together. 

I  have  recorded  the  fact  that  my  mind  was  dis- 
turbed, and  I  repeat  the  statement  also,  in  regard 
to  my   heart,  for  Donna  Inez's  eyes  had   played 


An  Ancient  Enemy  345 

havoc  with  my  feelings.  I  had  found  little  oppor- 
tunity to  converse  with  her  at  any  length,  but  when 
she  did  speak,  it  was  always  to  the  point  and  with 
great  sense.  She  had  a  pretty  wit  also,  and  this,  in 
addition  to  her  voice,  which,  as  I  have  told,  pos- 
sessed that  strange  quality  of  thrilling,  her  beauty 
was  such  that  the  regarder's  eyes  found  new  changes 
every  instant,  and,  silent  or  speaking,  I  could  scarce 
keep  mine  from  her  face  ;  and  the  fact  that  she 
would  look  at  me  from  time  to  time  as  if  I  were 
amusing,  nettled  me,  and  I  would  grow  painfully 
conscious  of  the  change  in  my  appearance,  and 
could  not  help  feeling  that  I  was  not  appearing  at 
my  best,  so  sometimes  there  intervened  long  silences, 
in  which,  I  dare  say,  we  all  did  much  thinking. 

During  that  part  of  the  journey  in  which  Don 
Vincent  was  with  us,  I  found  little  opportunity  to 
talk  with  the  ladies,  for  the  Don  absorbed  my  con- 
versation, or  at  least  he  insisted  upon  my  absorbing 
his,  and  he  was  chattering  away  when  we  reached 
Valliera. 

I  was  now  in  the  country  which  I  had  grown 
familiar  with  as  a  boy,  and  I  remembered  often  hav- 
ing seen  from  the  castle  of  my  step-father  the  towers 
of  the  one  belonging  to  the  De  Valdez,  and  also 
the  great  shape  of  the  monasteries,  which  stood  out 
against  the  sunset  sky  beyond  the  houses.  We 
were  a  mile  or  two  from  the  town,  and  the  country 


346  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

about  us  stretched  almost  bare  and  uninhabited  to 
the  sea-clifFs,  except  where  to  the  westward  rose 
Sagres  Castle  and  the  home  of  the  monks  of  St. 
Vincent.  We  had  passed  small  bands  of  soldiers 
upon  almost  every  mile  of  the  road,  and,  as  we  rode 
into  the  castle  yard,  we  were  saluted  by  a  guard  of 
a  half-score  or  so,  and  we  could  see  a  company  drill- 
ing on  the  wide  plain  beyond  —  the  setting  sun 
striking  bright  reflections  from  their  pikes  and  ar- 
mor. All  along  it  had  been  made  no  secret  that 
these  forces  were  gathering  and  being  made  ready 
against  the  day  when  King  Philip  should  let  loose 
his  mighty  fleets  upon  our  coasts.  But  that  he 
had  been  forestalled  for  some  time,  at  least,  was 
made  evident  by  something  that  happened  the  first 
night  that  I  spent  at  the  De  Valdez  castle,  and  in 
this  happening,  was  introduced  again,  a  man  who 
had  a  great  bearing  upon  the  trending  of  my  youth, 
and  whom  I  had  never  expected  to  see  alive  or  dead 
in  all  the  world. 

I  had  at  last  found  opportunity  to  talk  with 
Donna  Inez,  for  I  had  perceived  her  standing  alone 
upon  the  terrace  that  looked  down  over  the  small 
but  well-kept  garden,  and  whether  it  was  the  even- 
ing which  was  exceedingly  beautiful  with  a  linger- 
ing twilight,  or  the  depth  of  my  own  feelings,  I  was 
moved  to  speak  more  warmly  than  I  had  intended. 
After  reminding  her  of  the  first  day  that  we  had 


An  Ancient  Enemy  347 

met  and  telling  her  that  there  was  a  recollection  of 
our  parting  that  would  never  leave  me,  I  drew  the 
picture  of  the  beautiful  little  child  that  had  so  taken 
hold  of  a  lad's  heart,  and  now  she  was  a  woman  and 
I  a  man  ! 

"  Ah,  yes,  but  I  was  then  a  child,  and  children's 
gratitude  seeks  expression  in  their  own  way.  But  I 
pray  thee,  sir,  now  allow  us  to  repay  thee  by  help- 
ing thee  escape  from  danger,  and  do  not  make  it 
harder  for  us.  When  thou  goest,  it  is  to  another 
life  and  land,  and  thy  warm  words  are  wasted.  We 
shall  never  see  each  other  again,  and  our  countries 
will  soon  be  at  war,  which  should  make  us  enemies." 

"  I  crave  pardon  if  I  have  spoken  too  boldly,"  I 
returned ;  "  I  but  voiced  the  feelings  that  have 
swayed  me  for  the  last  three  days." 

"  For  the  last  three  days,"  she  repeated,  with  a 
laugh,  "and  one  day  more." 

"  And  why  but  one  day  ?  I  perchance,  might 
have  said  for  fourteen  years." 

"  Because,  senor,  we  have  found  out  that  there  is 
a  boat  sailing  from  the  anchorage  beneath  the  cape 
on  the  morrow,  and  the  longer  that  thou  stayest  here, 
the  greater  is  thy  danger." 

"  I  am  willing  to  risk  the  danger,"  I  returned, 
"  and  stay  on  till  the  next  boat,  or  the  next." 

"  No,"  she  replied,  "  that  we  will  hear  none  of; 
we  must  part." 


348  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

I  was  about  to  urge  her  to  state  reasons,  and  to 
plead  my  own  cause  more  warmly,  when  her  mother 
appeared  upon  the  terrace,  followed  by  Don  Vin- 
cent and  a  figure  so  strange  that  at  first  I  could  not 
tell  if  it  belonged  to  a  man  or  woman,  but  as  they 
approached,  I  saw  that  it  was  a  priest  of  the  Black 
Order,  and  my  heart  sank  as  I  perceived  the  hooked 
nose  and  the  sharp  black  eyes  of  Padre  Alonzo,  my 
old  enemy,  peering  out  from  under  the  shadow  of 
the  cowl !  This  man  had  always  the  effect  upon 
me  of  some  noxious  reptile  of  which  I  stood  in  fear 
—  fear  that  I  felt  would  not  leave  me  until  I  had 
stamped  out  his  existence  and  rid  the  earth  of  him. 
Long  ago  I  had  discovered  that  he  could  read  the 
thoughts  of  people  from  the  very  expressions  of 
their  faces  and  the  wording  of  their  speech,  and  now 
he  was  gazing  at  me. 

"  Don  Marteo,"  said  Donna  Maria,  "  the  Padre 
has  just  brought  us  news  that  has  come  by  water,  a 
boat  having  reached  here  from  Port  St.  Mary." 
She  spoke  as  if  the  news  was  sad,  and  she  wished  to 
prepare  my  mind.  "  Tell  us,"  she  added  turning  to 
the  priest. 

I  shuddered  as  the  old  demon  began  to  talk,  for 
as  his  voice  sounded  in  my  ears  it  brought  back  that 
unhappy  day  when  I  stood  before  him  and  might 
have 'betrayed  my  friend  to  death  if  I  had  opened 
lips.     "  The  Saints  bring  down  destruction  on  the 


An  Ancient  Enemy  349 

English !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  They  have  put  back 
the  Great  Reckoning  until  I  doubt  if  I  shall  live  to 
see  It. 

"  How  so  ? "  I  asked,  scarcely  able  to  control  my 
voice. 

The  priest  looked  at  me,  half  smiling.  "  They 
have  burnt  twenty-seven  fine  vessels  belonging  to 
the  King,  sunk  five  galleys  and  threescore  of  mer- 
chant-men, destroyed  almost  two  hundred  thousand 
ducats*  worth  of  valuable  supplies,  and  have  escaped,'* 
he  went  on,  "  without  the  loss  of  a  ship  ! "  And  he 
paused  here  as  if  he  were  about  to  say  more,  and 
then  stopped.  I  could  feel  his  eyes  searching  my 
face,  which  was  turned  toward  the  light,  and  I  know 
not  whether  I  quailed  or  faltered,  but  my  words 
came  slowly,  while  all  waited  to  hear  what  I  might 
say. 

"  And  what  will  the  King  do  now  ? "  I  asked. 
"  Such  news  as  this  must  cause  him  anguish." 

"  What  he  will  do  is  not  for  us  to  say,"  returned 
Padre  Alonzo.  "  Much  as  we  desire  to  know." 
He  said  nothing  more. 

Now  the  news  the  priest  had  brought  of  course 
had  given  me  great  joy,  and  yet  I  must  confess  that 
I  felt  a  sympathy  for  my  kind  host  and  my  bene- 
factress, for  I  could  see  how  greatly  they  were  cast 
down,  and  yet  strangely  enough  I  perceived,  also, 
that  they  had  feared  that  I  would  have  betrayed  my- 


350  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

self  by  some  false  expression  or  by  too  much  elation 
upon  the  receipt  of  the  news.  I  considered,  never- 
theless, that  I  had  avoided  this  with  cleverness,  but 
whether  I  had  done  so  or  not  remained  to  be  seen. 

As  the  darkness  was  falling  we  reentered  the 
castle ;  I  was  anxious  now  to  get  a  chance  to  speak 
with  Donna  Maria  or  Don  Vincent,  for  it  did  not 
appear  at  all  likely  that  any  vessel  would  sail  from 
the  Cape  when  it  was  known  that  Drake's  fleet  was 
sailing  unhampered  in  the  waters,  and  I  held  that 
it  might  be  a  good  plan  for  me  to  set  out  in  quest 
of  the  Admiral  in  a  small  boat,  even  if  I  had  to  go 
alone.  Then,  as  I  thought  over  this,  I  remembered 
having  heard  Drake  say  (not  in  a  meeting  of  the 
officers,  but  to  me  and  Master  Ceely),  that  if  suc- 
cessful at  Cadiz,  it  was  his  intention  to  seize  Cape 
St.  Vincent  and  hold  it  as  a  place  of  rendezvous  for 
a  stronger  fleet  to  be  sent  from  England !  It  appeared 
from  the  Spanish  account  that  he  had  been  more  suc- 
cessful than  even  he  had  dreamed  of,  and,  as  I  knew 
him  to  be  a  man  who  altered  not  his  plans  without 
a  reason,  or  unless  compelled  to,  I  said  to  myself 
that  I  had  gained  a  fortunate  position,  for  here  I 
was  on  the  very  ground  and  in  advance  of  him. 

All  these  thoughts  were  in  my  mind  during  the 
evening,  as  we  sat  about  the  big  fire  in  the  castle 
hall.  I  had  joined  absently  in  the  conversation, 
and  from  time  to  time  I  had  looked  up  to  see  the 


An  Ancient  Enemy  351 

priest's  eyes  resting  upon  me.  His  misshapen 
form  sank  back  into  the  depths  of  a  huge  armchair, 
and  his  long  bony  fingers  kept  stretching  out  of  his 
wide  sleeves,  like  talons,  as  he  talked  ;  but  the  voice 
that  I  remembered  as  so  discordant  had  grown  soft 
and  mellow,  and  he  turned  his  attention  to  me  at 
least  a  score  of  times,  and  showed  without  rudeness 
great  curiosity  as  to  my  past.  He  had  been  in- 
formed that  I  was  "  acquainted  well  in  the  ports  of 
the  Spanish  Main."  "  Did  I  by  any  chance  know 
Father  Juan  Gonzales  at  Cartagena,  and  surely  I 
must  have  heard  of  the  great  work  that  Padre  To- 
macito  Reno  had  done  amongst  the  Indians."  And 
there  was  much  more  of  this  examining  done  by 
him.  To  all  outward  showing  the  questions  were 
kindly  put,  but  I  was  puzzled  often  to  answer  them, 
and  it  kept  my  wits  working  not  to  betray  myself. 
In  her  way  Donna  Maria  endeavored  to  put  him  oiF 
and  to  come  to  my  assistance.  I  could  see  that  both 
she  and  the  senorita  were  growing  worried.  At  last, 
to  our  relief,  the  frightful  priest  arose  and  bade  us 
farewell.  As  he  spoke  to  me,  I  thought  I  dis- 
covered a  wickedly  triumphant  gleam  of  menace 
in  his  eye.  I  returned  the  glance  as  blandly  as  I 
could,  and  I  had  chance  to  observe  him  closer  than 
I  had  done  heretofore.  He  was  grown  scarcely 
older,  and  his  face  had  the  same  drawn  and  sunken 
expression  of  a  skull.     In  fact,  were  it  not  for  the 


35^  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

eyes,  that  gleamed  in  the  hollow  sockets,  the  thin 
sharp  nose,  and  the  lips  firm  and  pale,  that  hid  the 
cavernous  jaw.  Padre  Alonzo*s  face  was  a  living, 
speaking  death-mask.  I  reasoned  that  he  would 
never  grow  old,  and  that  he  would  stay  as  he  was  till 
he  crumbled  like  some  old  shrouded  figure  in  an 
ancient  tomb. 

Knowing  that  if  Admiral  Drake  made  good  his 
intentions,  he  would  not  stop  at  half  measures,  it 
suddenly  crossed  my  mind  that  fate  had  placed  me 
again  in  position  to  return  the  kind  service  of  my 
friends ;  for  if  he  ever  succeeded  in  effecting  a  land- 
ing, he  would  surely  march  upon  the  surrounding 
castles  on  the  Cape  in  order  to  satisfy  that  peculiar 
greed  of  the  English  sailor-man  and  soldier  that 
demands  substantial  reminders  of  his  successes,  and 
thus  I  might  be  able  to  protect  the  property  of  my 
friends  from  being  levied  on.  Was  it  my  duty, 
thought  I,  to  enlighten  them  or  not  ?  I  pondered 
this  over  for  some  time  and  decided  that  I  was  not 
warranted  in  so  doing,  and  it  would  be  expecting  too 
much  for  them  to  keep  it  quiet. 

After  the  priest's  departure,  I  inquired  about  him 
without  stating  that  I  knew  anything  of  his  name  or 
doings,  and  I  found  that  he  was  one  of  the  most 
feared  and  hated  men  in  Western  Spain.  He  sel- 
dom did  anything  without  a  motive,  and  it  was 
rumored  that  he  knew  secrets  of  the  King  and  Car- 


An  Ancient  Enemy  353 

dinal  before  they  knew  the  secrets  of  each  other. 
Aye,  and  that  he  knew  what  moves  the  Pope  would 
make  even  before  that  much-advised  potentate  knew 
himself.  It  was  seldom  that  he  called  upon  any  of 
the  nobles  that  lived  near  Valliera,  and  his  appear- 
ing at  Valdez  to  give  my  friends  welcome,  had  been 
a  great  surprise.  But  the  reason  for  it  was  not  kept 
long  in  doubt. 

The  apartment  that  had  been  assigned  to  me  was 
on  the  ground  floor  in  a  square  tower  that  rose  at 
the  corner  of  the  moat.  It  was  at  the  end  of  a 
long,  loop-holed  passageway,  flagged  with  heavy 
stones.  I  had  fallen  asleep,  and  mayhap  it  was  an 
hour  -after  midnight,  when  I  was  awakened  by  the 
sound  of  some  one  stirring  in  my  room,  and  voices 
near  by,  talking  in  whispers.  I  leaned  out  from  the 
bed  and  stretched  my  hand  to  reach  the  corner 
where  I  had  placed  my  sword.  It  was  not  there, 
and  with  a  start  I  sat  bolt  upright  and  asked  loudly 
into  the  pitch  darkness,  who  it  was  that  had  entered, 
and  what  was  the  business  he  might  be  on.  The 
sound  of. heavy  footsteps  came  from  the  corridor, 
and  before  I  could  gain  my  speech  or  find  a  weapon, 
I  was  borne  backward  by  three  or  four  strong  arms, 
and  my  hands  were  pinioned  ere  I  could  strike  a 
blow.  When  a  torch  was  brought,  the  room  ap- 
peared to  be  filled  with  figures  draped  in  long  black 
gowns  that   I   so   well   remembered.     Their  faces. 


354  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

too,  were  hidden  by  black  masks.  But  they  were 
not  all  priests,  for  I  was  sure  that  I  had  felt  that 
one,  at  least,  wore  armor.  I  was  not  even  given 
time  to  dress ;  bound  as  I  was,  I  was  hurried  out 
into  the  passageway,  and  there  one  of  the  coarse 
black  frocks  was  thrown  across  my  shoulders,  en- 
veloping me  to  the  feet,  and  I  was  led  forward  into 
the  big  hall.  There  was  a  strange  sight.  The 
terrified  servants  were  standing  behind  a  row  of 
pikemen.  The  place  was  alight  with  torches,  and 
in  the  flickering  light  I  saw  something  that  caused 
my  heart  to  sink.  On  the  broad  stone  staircase 
stood  Don  Vincent,  pinioned  and  helpless,  and  be- 
side him  were  Donna  Maria  and  my  dear  seflorita, 
pale  with  fright.  It  needed  but  half  a  glance  to 
show  that  they  were  prisoners  also.  Ere  I  could 
speak,  I  was  hurried  out. 

How  far  we  travelled  that  night  I  know  not,  but 
with  two  hideous  guards  in  a  jolting  coach,  it  ap- 
peared to  me  that  I  was  driven  miles,  and  then, 
with  my  eyesight  stoppered  by  the  heavy  gown 
they  had  thrown  about  my  head,  I  was  pushed  out 
and  led  up  a  stairway  into  a  building  of  some  kind. 
I  heard  a  great  door  clang  behind  me,  then  up 
another  stairway,  spiral  in  form  this  time,  I  was  half 
dragged,  half  led ;  another  door  was  opened,  and  I 
was  thrust  forward  into  a  small,  round  cell.  Then 
came  a  crash  of  iron  locks,  and  I  was  left  alone. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV 

THE   WALLED    GARDEN 


IN  my  miserable  situation,  I  was  like  to 
have  given  way  to  my  grief  and  deep 
despair,  but  there  was  too  much  to  think 

'   of  to  waste  time  in  lamentations.     But 

what  distress  and  suffering  were  brought  upon  my 
friends !  Yes,  I  could  see  that  it  was  through  me, 
and  for  me,  all  this  had  fallen  upon  them,  and  I 
wondered  how  it  had  come  about  that  I  should  have 
been  suspected,  or  on  what  grounds  I  had  been 
seized.  To  the  questions  that  I  had  put  to  my 
captors  during  the  hour  just  ended,  I  had  gained  no 
reply,  nor  would  they  tell  me  what  they  intended 
doing,  or  where  taking  me.  If  it  was  inland,  I  had 
indeed  small  hope  of  rescue  or  escape,  and  my  fate 
was  as  good  as  sealed.  But  Englishmen  do  not 
receive  the  blows  of  Fate  with  humility ;  it  is  their 
constant  effort  to  wrest  the  bludgeon  from  her  hands, 
and  I  determined  first  to  find  out  my  whereabouts, 
then  to  set  myself  free,  if  it  were  possible,  and  to 
proceed  to  rescue  those  who  were  suffering  for  me ; 
but  all  my  plans  for  the  near  future  were  inter- 

355 


356  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

rupted  by  a  necessity  for  action  in  the  present.  The 
cords  that  bound  my  wrists  had  been  drawn  so  tight 
that  they  were  causing  me  the  intensest  agony,  and 
I  endeavored  to  free  myself  from  their  cruel  pres- 
sure. Save  for  the  gown  that  had  been  thrown 
around  me,  I  was  thinly  clad,  and  I  had  no  knife 
or  weapon.  Getting  to  my  feet,  I  felt  around  the 
wall  of  the  apartment.  It  was  circular  and  of 
smooth  stone,  but  where  the  door  entered  there 
was  a  sharp  edge  where  the  stone  joined  a  wooden 
framework;  back  against  this  I  leaned,  and  in  the 
way  a  Scotchman  scratches  his  back,  and  not  with- 
out some  effort,  did  I  succeed  in  wearing  away  one 
of  the  knots  that  bound  my  hands.  This  loosened, 
the  others  gave,  and  soon  I  had  all  free. 

I  had  thought  that  by  this  time  it  should  be  day- 
light, but  I  looked  in  vain  for  any  window,  and  felt 
about  with  hands  extended  for  any  opening,  and 
was  discomforted.  But  after  a  time  I  perceived  a 
faint  glow  from  overhead,  and  brighter  it  grew,  until 
I  saw  that  there  was,  perhaps  nine  feet  from  the 
floor,  a  narrow  window  scarcely  the  width  of  my 
hand.  Twice  I  tried  to  reach  it  and  failed.  On 
the  third  jump  I  succeeded,  and  as  I  was  about 
drawing  myself  up,  there  came  a  sound  of  a  key 
being  inserted  in  the  door,  and  I  was  forced  to  drop 
down  on  a  straw  pallet,  where  I  lay  with  my  hands 
behind  me,  feigning  to  be  asleep.     Two  men  entered 


The  Walled  Garden  357 

quietly,  each  with  his  face  hid  behind  the  masks. 
I  heard  but  four  whispered  words,  and  they  were 
spoken  in  a  tone  of  great  vexation. 

"  His  beard  is  black,"  snarled  the  taller  of  the 
two. 

"  Hush  ! "  cautioned  the  other,  pushing  the  first 
forward.  "  Try."  The  man  approached,  and  kneel- 
ing beside  me,  shook  me  roughly,  at  the  same  time 
he  placed  his  mouth  close  to  my  ear  and  said  in 
English,  with  a  touch  of  Spanish  accent. 

"  A  message  from  Admiral  Drake !  Arise, 
quickly  ! " 

Like  a  flash  I  saw  through  the  ruse.  Opening 
my  eyes,  as  if  yet  dazed,  I  stared  about  me.  "What 
do  you  want  ?  "  said  I  in  Spanish.    "  Who  are  you  ?" 

"A  message  from  Drake,"  repeated  the  man 
again,  and  his  eyes  almost  burned  through  the  slits 
in  his  mask. 

"  I  do  not  understand,"  returned  I  in  Spanish. 
"  Who  are  ye  ?  You  will  answer  for  this  treatment 
of  me  to  the  King  and  the  Cardinal !  "  The  men 
stood  there  silently  while  I  looked  up  at  them. 
That  their  attempt  to  surprise  me  had  failed,  had 
hugely  disconcerted  them. 

"  We  are  acting  under  orders,"  said  one  at  last. 

"The  orders  of  Padre  Alonzo,"  said  I. 

"  Whose  else  ?  " 

"The  orders  of  Don  Lopez  de  Serano,  mayhap," 


3 53  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

and  at  this  both  men  started,  and  at  a  sign  from  one 
they  drew  together  out  into  the  hall  and  quickly- 
closed  the  door,  and  there  they  must  have  stood 
whispering,  for  it  was  a  few  minutes  before  I  heard 
again  their  footsteps.  I  jumped  once  more  to  the 
window  and  caught  it  cleverly,  and,  using  all  my 
strength,  I  drew  myself  up,  and  when  I  could  look 
out,  I  dropped  down  again  from  sheer  surprise.  I 
was  in  the  town  that  I  had  known  so  well  as  a  boy, 
and  I  had  looked  across  the  street  over  the  high 
stone  wall  into  the  gardens  of  Vertendonna  !  There 
was  the  fountain  flashing  in  the  morning  sun,  and 
there  was  the  poplar  tree  that  used  to  be  so  hard  to 
climb.  I  remembered  how  I  had  interviewed  Selwyn 
Powys  from  the  top  of  this  very  wall  beneath  me, 
and  I  recalled  the  big  key  that  locked  the  gateway, 
and  the  underground  passage,  and  all  of  it.  Once 
more  I  made  the  window  and  looked  out.  There 
were  figures  in  the  garden  now,  and  looking  closely, 
I  perceived  that  they  were  two  women  and  a  man 
walking  down  the  shrub-bordered  path  toward  the 
fountain.  As  they  came  out  into  the  open  and  the 
branches  no  longer  hid  them,  I  almost  lost  my  hold 
again,  for  the  two  ladies  were  Donna  Maria  and  her 
daughter,  and  the  man  who  stood  beside  them  was 
none  other  than  Don  Lopez  !  They  were  speaking 
earnestly,  but  of  course  they  were  too  far  off  for 
me  to  hear  the  slightest  sound;  but  I  could  see 


The  Walled  Garden  35$ 

that  the  Don  was  excited,  while  the  ladies  stood  calm 
and  apparently  defiant.  Suddenly  the  Spaniard 
turned  upon  his  heel  and  walked  quickly  away, 
plainly  in  a  temper,  and  Donna  Maria,  clasping 
Inez  in  her  arms,  sank  onto  one  of  the  stone 
benches  near  the  fountain.  I  dropped  down  to  the 
floor  to  think,  and  was  sitting  there  reasoning  what 
it  might  mean,  when  again  the  lock  was  heard  to 
turn  and  one  of  my  jailers  reappeared. 

"  Follow  me,"  said  he,  and  twisting  the  cord 
around  my  wrists,  I  arose  and  followed  him.  We 
went  down  the  spiral  staircase  that  led  to  the  tower 
in  which  I  had  been  confined,  and  turning  from  the 
broad  hallway,  we  descended  another  and  entered  a 
room  on  the  ground  floor,  the  barred  windows  of 
which  looked  out  into  the  garden,  a  patch,  perhaps, 
some  sixty  odd  feet  square.  But  I  knew  where  I 
was  now !  It  was  in  this  very  room  that  Powys 
and  I  had  held  our  meetings,  and  there  was  the 
door  in  the  wall  from  which  led  the  steps  to  the 
underground  passageway  beneath  the  street.  From 
being  a  heretic  stronghold,  the  place  had  been 
turned  into  a  secret  prison  maintained  by  the  Black 
Order,  who  had  such  places  scattered  through  Spain 
and  eke  through  France.  I  looked  closely  around 
the  room ;  a  small  door  half  ajar  led  into  another 
apartment,  and  stepping  there  on  tiptoe  I  looked  in. 
It  was  a  store-chamber  of  some  kind,  filled  with 


360  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

odds  and  ends,  stripped,  perhaps,  from  luckless 
persons  who  had  lodged  in  the  building.  There 
was  a  collection  of  old  clothing,  doublets,  capes,  and 
hosiery  hanging  from  the  nail,  and  in  the  corner 
stood  a  sheaf  of  swords  and  rapiers,  some  of  foreign 
make.  I  took  down  an  armful  of  clothes  and  seiz- 
ing one  of  the  weapons,  I  dashed  back  into  the 
room.  There  was  no  time  to  wait.  It  was  evident 
that  I  had  been  left  there  alone  for  a  short  time 
only,  waiting,  perhaps,  for  some  one  to  make  ready 
to  receive  or  to  visit  me.  Time  was  precious.  I 
did  not  even  try  to  don  the  things  that  I  had  taken. 
With  arms  full,  I  tried  the  door  leading  toward  the 
garden  with  my  knee.  To  my  surprise  and  delight 
it  opened,  for  one  would  be  as  much  a  prisoner 
there  as  anywhere,  as  the  walls  were  twenty  feet  in 
height,  and  the  only  gateway  blocked,  apparently, 
on  the  other  side  by  solid  stone,  but  I  knew  where 
we  had  always  kept  the  key,  and  dropping  my 
bundle  for  the  nonce,  I  felt  arm's  length  beneath 
the  stone  doorstep,  and  drew  forth  from  its  resting- 
place  of  many  years,  the  ponderous  bit  of  iron. 
With  it,  fearsomely  I  hastened  to  the  gate,  and,  un- 
locking it,  there  were  the  stone  steps  that  led  down 
into  the  darkness !  I  had  brought  my  bundle  with 
me,  and  shutting  the  door,  though  I  could  not  see 
clearly  what  I  was  doing,  I  managed  to  get  into 
some  of  the  clothes.     Then  I  unlocked  the  further 


The  Walled  Garden  361 

doors,  and  half  fearing  the  sunlight  again,  I  inserted 
the  key  into  the  last  keyhole.  In  another  moment 
I  would  be  in  the  garden,  and  unless  they  had  left, 
I  would  be  in  the  presence  of  Donna  Maria  and  her 
daughter.  Breathing  a  prayer  that  I  might  find 
them,  I  stepped  forth.  They  were  not  there !  I 
paused  and  looked  about  me.  The  garden  was  not 
in  the  same  well-kept  condition  that  I  remembered 
it  in  the  old  days  ;  the  weeds  choked  the  flower-beds 
and  the  grass  grew  in  spots  in  the  paths.  But  yet 
the  sight  brought  back  to  me  vividly  the  hours  of 
my  lonely  childhood,  albeit  everything  now  seemed 
to  be  on  a  much  smaller  scale  than  of  yore. 

But  I  did  not  pause  long  to  think  over  these 
things.  Throwing  the  key  behind  a  bush,  I  strode 
forward,  and  as  I  neared  the  fountain  I  perceived 
the  ladies  walking  up  the  path  toward  the  castle. 
I  flew  after  them,  and,  hearing  my  hasty  footsteps, 
they  turned  as  if  expecting  trouble.  1  think  that 
both  would  have  cried  out  in  their  surprise  at  seeing 
me,  if  I  had  not  cautioned  them,  finger  on  lip,  and 
we  stepped  aside  into  a  recess  in  the  hedge. 

"  Thank  the  merciful  God !  "  exclaimed  Donna 
Maria ;  "  we  never  expected  to  see  thee  again." 
She  wrung  my  hand  while  Inez  stood  there,  her  face 
pale  as  she  leaned  against  her  mother,  and  her  beau- 
tiful eyes  fixed  upon  my  face. 

"  I  never  expected  to  be  seen  by  any  one  but 


j62  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

that  monster  priest  and  the  executioners,"  I  re- 
turned. "  But  I  have  escaped  by  means  of  secret 
knowledge  I  have  of  this  place,  for  here  I  lived  as  a 
boy,  and  in  the  room  overhead  in  the  castle  my 
mother  died.  But  tell  me,  how  fares  it  with  you, 
and  what  does  it  mean,  this  arrest  and  your  deten- 
tion ? " 

"  It  means,"  responded  Donna  Maria,  "  that  Don 
Lopez  is  a  villain,  trebly  dyed." 

"  True,"  said  I,  "  but  that  explains  nothing." 

"Well,"  continued  the  good  lady,  speaking 
quickly,  "  to  be  short,  the  whole  city  of  Cadiz  has 
been  searched  for  an  English  spy  in  the  garb  of  a 
priest,  who  had  been  allowed  to  land  from  one  of 
the  vessels,  helped  by  one  of  the  officers  of  the 
galley  Cristobal ;  the  officer  has  been  shot." 

I  started.  "  Poor  fellow,"  said  I ;  "  alas,  but 
there  is  one  brave  sailor  less  for  us  to  fight." 

"  Now,"  went  on  Donna  Maria,  "  Don  Lopez 
remembered  meeting  a  priest  answering  the  descrip- 
tion, with  us,  and,  knowing  our  destination,  he 
evaded  your  vessels  and  reached  here  by  water 
before  we  had  arrived,  and  told  the  wizard  at  St. 
Vincent.  Padre  Alonzo,  from  whom  one  can  con- 
ceal nothing,  surprised  you  into  betraying  yourself 
last  evening,  to  such  an  extent  that  you  are  now  a 
suspect,  and  thus  you  have  been  taken,  and  we,  also, 
for  harboring  you.     We  arc  prisoners,  and  forbid- 


The  Walled  Garden 


den  to  leave  this  castle,  which  at  present  belongs  to 
the  Bishop  of  Cadiz." 

"  A  murrain  on  me  for  having  brought  you  to 
this ! "  I  cried.  "Is  there  no  way  for  you  to  be 
relieved  ?  Let  me  avow  myself.  I  will  say  that 
you  know  nothing;  you  shall  not  suffer  for  me." 

"  Hold,"  cried  Donna  Maria,  "  you  go  too  fast ! 
There  is  more  to  tell ;  they  know  not  who  you  are, 
for  your  appearance  tallies  not  with  the  description 
of  the  spy.  We  have  said  that  we  met  you  at  the 
inn,  that  the  priest  left  us  at  the  city  gate,  and  that 
he  had  imposed  upon  us  so  well  that  we  thought 
we  must  have  known  him.  We  have  denied  that 
we  suspected  him,  but  now  grant  that  it  may  have 
been  the  Englishman.  As  to  yourself,  Don  Vin- 
cent has  sworn  you  are  his  cousin,  and  we  have 
sworn  we  knew  you  well  and  last  saw  you  at  Basta- 
mentos,  where  you  had  rendered  the  Governor,  my 
husband,  such  signal  service  that  he  could  never 
mention  your  name  without  a  prayer  for  your  wel- 
fare. Which  is  true,"  she  added,  and  then  went 
on ;  "  What  you  are  doing  here,  we  could  not  tell 
them,  leaving  that  to  you  to  explain.  But  they 
scent  something  strange  in  the  affair,  and  Alonzo, 
the  black  wolf,  stops  at  no  half  measures.  Oh, 
senor,  it  rejoiceth  us  to  see  thee  alive ! " 

"What  of  Miguel?"  I  asked.  "Can  he  be 
trusted  ? "      Donna    Maria   paused.     "  They  have 


364  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

put  Miguel  to  the  torture;  he  has  told  them 
naught.  Servants  are  not  expected  to  know  every- 
thing." 

Donna  Inez,  who  had  been  looking  from  her 
mother  to  me  anxiously,  now  spoke. 

"  They  were  to  have  examined  you,*'  said  she, 
"  this  morning.  That  villanous  Lopez  has  just 
left  us  to  be  present,  he  said,  at  your  undoing. 
What  dreadful  things  he  threatened  !  Is  it  wise  to 
stand  here  where  any  one  might  find  us  ?  Is  there 
no  hiding-place  where  we  can  go  ?  " 

"  I  know  a  score  of  such  places  in  the  castle,"  I 
returned,  "for  there  is  not  a  secret  passageway  I 
have  not  explored.  I  know  them  like  a  rat  knows 
a  hayrick." 

"  Then  let  us  in,"  said  Donna  Maria,  "  for  Don 
Lopez  may  soon  return,  and  if  found  here,  we  are 
lost  —  all  of  us." 

"  Walk  boldly  in  then,  turn  to  the  room  on  the 
right,  and  I  will  follow  as  if  guarding  you." 

The  ladies  did  as  I  bade  them.  Unnoticed  we 
went  into  the  castle,  and  down  the  great  hall  at  the 
farther  end  I  saw  two  pikemen  guarding  the  en- 
trance that  gave  upon  the  street;  but  they  were 
looking  out,  with  their  backs  to  us,  and  saw  nothing. 
We  entered  the  room  on  the  left,  that  was  a  small 
one,  through  which  it  was  necessary  to  pass  to  reach 
the  chapel.     I    knew  of  a  secret  stairway  opening 


The  Walled  Garden  365 

from  a  closet  that  led  to  the  state  chamber  over- 
head, and  it  was  here  that  I  intended  to  conceal 
myself  until  nightfall,  or  until  some  provision  could 
be  made  for  my  escape.  I  was  hoping  to  gain  time 
enough  to  speak  at  greater  length  and  in  some  security 
to  the  ladies  before  seeking  seclusion,  but  it  was  not 
to  be.  We  had  closed  the  door,  and  I  had  placed 
myself  in  a  position  and  attitude  to  hear  if  any  one 
should  approach,  when  I  heard  the  sentry  challenge 
some  one  at  the  door,  who  answered  hotly :  — 

"  A  curse  on  thee  for  a  fool !  Don't  you  know 
me,  fellow  ?  Call  out  the  guard  ;  a  most  important 
prisoner  has  escaped  !  " 

A  trumpet  flourished,  and  voices  and  hurrying 
feet  sounded  along  the  corridors. 

"  Lose  no  time  !  escape  !  Hide  yourself!  "  cried 
the  senorita. 

I  entered  the  closet  where  the  secret  door  was 
hid  in  the  wainscoting,  asking  the  ladies  to  meet  me 
there  after  dusk,  and,  in  the  meantime,  if  possible, 
to  procure  me  some  food.  Then  I  kissed  my  dear 
young  lady's  hand  and  disappeared. 


CHAPTER  XXXV 

THE    padre's    messenger 


T  was  musty  and  close,  and  as  I  sat  there 
in  the  great  rat-hole,  I  had  much  to  think 
on.     In  the  assistance  that  Donna  Maria 

'  and  Inez  could  give  me  from  the  outside 

lay  my  strong  hope  of  salvation,  for  I  could  not 
have  stirred  abroad  by  daylight  without  being  ques- 
tioned or  recognized,  and  taken.  If  my  fellow-pris- 
oners should  be  compelled  to  leave,  I  should  be  in 
a  sorry  plight !  I  might  live,  for  a  time,  like  a 
ghost,  haunting  the  secret  passages  of  the  castle  (the 
ones  that  I  had  explored  as  a  boy),  but  a  ghost  is  not 
supposed  to  eat  or  drink,  and  in  my  search  to  stave 
off  hunger  and  thirst  I  would  be  in  continual  danger. 

Time  passed  slowly  in  darkness.  I  awoke  after 
a  short  sleep  and  could  not  have  told  if  it  had  lasted 
five  minutes  or  five  hours.  But  there  was  a  tapping 
at  the  wainscoting,  and,  listening,  I  perceived  that 
it  was  the  signal  that  we  had  agreed  upon,  so  I 
opened  the  panel  and  found  Donna  Inez  there 
alone.     She  was  trembling  from  head  to  foot. 

"  Oh,  seflor,"  she  said,  "  I  am  in  such  fright. 
My  mother  has  disappeared;   I   cannot   find   her. 

366 


The  Padre*s  Messenger  367 

She  left  me  an  hour  ago  with  one  of  the  Black 
Robes.  Has  she  been  here  ?  Oh  !  they  will  never 
dare  to  lay  harsh  hands  on  her;  where  has  she 
gone  ? "  She  clutched  my  shoulders  fiercely. 
"  Why  did  we  ever  see  thee  ? "  she  half  sobbed. 
"  Why  didst  thou  not  leave  us  ?  " 

I  saw  now  my  duty  clearly.  I  could  right  all  the 
wrong  that  I  had  brought  upon  them.  How  they 
had  suffered  for  me  ! 

"  There  is  one  thing  that  I  can  do  to  help  matters 
now,"  said  I,  "  and  that  I  shall  take  upon  myself 
right  speedily."  I  stepped  toward  the  door  of  the 
antechamber  that  opened  out  to  the  hall. 

"  Stop,"  cried  Inez,  clutching  me  again.  "  There 
is  a  sentry  there ;  he  has  been  placed  to  guard  me. 
I  am  held  prisoner  in  this  room." 

"  Do  not  make  it  hard  for  me,"  returned  I ;  "  you 
will  soon  be  free,  and  Donna  Maria  also.  I  have 
brought  all  this  cloud  upon  thee  both  and  on  thy 
uncle,  and  I  shall  soon  disperse  it." 

"  But  think  of  it !  they  will  torture  thee,  they  will 
roast  thee  at  slow  fires  !  They  will  not  dare  to  do 
more  than  to  threaten  or  imprison  us.  But  think 
of  thy  fate." 

"  I  have  naught  to  tremble  at.  A  man  must  die ; 
we  die  but  once." 

I  drew  my  sword  and  laid  hold  of  the  great  han- 
dle of  the  door,  but  she  still  clung  to  me. 


368  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

"If  you  die  fighting,  what  will  become  of  us," 
she  cried ;  "  who  will  explain  ?  how  will  they  be- 
lieve ?  You  are  spoken  of  as  *  the  mysterious  spy ' ; 
they  believe  there  is  a  great  heretic  plot  throughout 
Spain  and  that  you  are  part  of  it,  and  they  think 
we  also  hold  the  key  to  it.  They  will  discover 
all!" 

"But,"  said  I,  "if  I  tell  them  naught  but  truth, 
though  people  say  strange  things  in  torture,  trust 
me;  all  their  fires,  and  ropes,  and  irons  will  not 
force  a  lie  from  me.     Pray  let  me  pass." 

Donna  Inez  had  placed  her  back  against  the  door; 
the  tall  candle  on  the  table  cast  a  feeble,  flickering 
light,  but  it  shone  full  upon  her  face.  "  It  is  the 
truth  we  fear  also,"  returned  she,  hoarsely.  "  We 
are  Protestants ! " 

I  paused.  Now  I  knew  something  I  had  not 
fathomed  before ;  yet  why  had  they  not  told  me  ? 

"  Spain  is  no  place  for  you  then.  Here  you  can- 
not live,"  said  I.  "  Listen  ;  in  England,  my  home, 
there  is  freedom.  We  must  escape  together,  you 
must  come  with  me ;  I  shall  live  for  you  always. 
I  have  loved  you,  it  seems  to  me,  since  you  were  a 
little  child ;  will  you  give  me  hope  ?  " 

"  You  speak  as  if  we  were  not,  at  this  instant,  in 
very  danger  of  our  lives,  yet  what  shall  we  do  ? 
what  shall  we  do  ?  "  She  almost  broke  down  in  her 
despair. 


The  Padre's  Messenger  369 

I  heard  a  halberd  staff  ring  on  the  stones  out  in 
the  hall-way.     Inez  had  heard  it  also. 

"  Back  with  you  to  your  hiding-place,"  she  whis- 
pered quickly.  "  Go  !  For  if  you  are  found,  you 
seal  the  fate  of  every  one  of  us.     Go,  hide !  " 

"  I  cannot  leave  you,"  I  returned. 

"  Stay,"  she  returned,  "  and  send  me  to  the  rack." 

I  shuddered,  and  she  pointed  to  the  secret  door 
that  was  partly  open ;  obeying  her,  I  entered,  and 
closed  it  after  riie.  I  listened  my  very  best,  but  I 
could  make  out  no  voices,  not  a  sound,  but  I  heard 
the  great  door  open  and  close  twice  plainly.  All 
the  time  I  was  in  a  storm  of  thought.  Every  min- 
ute that  I  stayed  in  the  castle  threatened  the  lives 
that  I  would  have  given  mine  own  life  to  save.  As 
long  as  I  remained  a  mystery,  nothing  could  be 
proved.  I  reasoned  that  my  captors  were  not  cer- 
tain if  I  was  English  or  not.  But  it  would  not  take 
long  for  them  to  find  it  out,  for  my  dark  hair  and 
beard  were  every  hour  returning  more  to  their  natu- 
ral color ;  delay  added  greatly  to  my  danger.  If  I 
could  get  away  from  the  castle,  I  might  reach  the 
coast  and  wait  there  for  the  sight  of  an  English 
flag.  I  might  never  see  my  loved  one  again 
though,  and  I  kept  halting  in  my  mind  as  to  what 
might  be  best  for  all  concerned.  At  last  I  decided 
that  night  to  enter  the  garden,  which  now  was 
shrouded  with  the  gloom  of  evening,  climb  the  wall 


370  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

at  the  old  point  where  I  used  to  climb  it  as  a 
boy  (the  only  spot  where  its  surface  was  assailable), 
and  make  oiF  on  foot  to  the  sea-cliiFs  at  the 
south. 

I  opened  the  panel,  and  was  stepping  forth  when 
I  saw  that  the  candle  was  yet  burning,  guttering 
slowly  down,  on  the  table  beside  the  great  arm- 
chair. I  could  not  tell  the  hour,  but  seeing  that 
the  place  looked  empty,  I  stealthily  crossed  the 
room,  reasoning  that  more  than  likely  all  hands 
in  the  castle  were  asleep.  Suddenly  I  paused,  for 
there  came  a  steady  scratching  sound  from  some 
place  close  about  me.  It  was  not  the  gnawing  of 
a  rat,  it  was  not  the  sound  of  insects,  and  yet  it 
was  familiar  to  my  ears.  What  could  it  be  ?  I 
listened,  standing  where  I  was,  with  every  cord 
in  my  body  like  a  harp-string.  At  last  I  knew 
it  to  be  the  sound  of  a  pen  on  crisp  parchment, 
and  I  looked  down  at  the  table  that  was  within 
six  feet  of  me.  I  could  see  a  white  bony  hand 
writing  with  nervous,  jerky  strokes — just  a  hand 
and  nothing  more ! 

All  the  fear  that  I  had  ever  felt  in  my  life  was 
nothing  to  what  I  endured  that  instant.  I  was 
cold  all  through  me  with  the  sudden  horror.  I 
caught  my  breath  as  my  heart  gave  a  leap  at  last,  a 
floor-board  creaked;  a  head  peered  round  the  chair. 
Padre  Alonzo  and    I  gazed  in  each  other's  eyes ! 


The  Padre's  Messenger  371 

For  a  full  minute  we  never  moved  a  lid.  Then 
he  spoke,  and  I  felt  with  a  thrill  of  triumph  that 
his  voice  had  fear  in  it,  and  my  courage  all  came 
back  to  me. 

"  Who  art  thou  ? "  he  asked  in  his  hollowest, 
cracked  tone.  I  saw  that  he  had  recognized  me 
as  the  fugitive,  though  he  wished  not  to  show  it. 

"  One  who  wouldst  speak  with  thee,"  1  returned, 
"  and  one  thou  knowest  well." 

"  Say  on,"  he  returned ;  "  but  be  short,  or  I  will 
call  the  guard  here  at  the  door.  How  did  he  let 
thee  enter  —  " 

"There  is  no  guard  there,"  I  returned,  ventur- 
ing. "  Who  am  I  but  the  prisoner  that  escaped  you 
yesterday,  come  in  to  ask  for  hearing?  I  have 
much  to  tell  that  it  might  be  well  for  you  to 
hear.  I  know,  you  but  labor  for  the  good  of  the 
Cause  and  for  the  King;  you  are  making  a  mis- 
take —  have  you  forgotten  me  ^  " 

"  Say  on,  my  son ;  if  I  have  erred  in  my  zeal, 
I  shall  make  fair  reparation."  His  courage  was 
returning  also.  "Who  art  thou  that  comest  so 
mysteriously,  imposes  upon  ladies  and  claims  rela- 
tionship, and  leads  so  many  who  know  nothing  of 
thee  to  take  thee  into  their  secrets  and  confidence  ? 
—  thy  name !" 

"  I  am  Sir  Matthew  Maunsell  —  one  of  Drake's 
officers !  "     (It  was  in  my  mind  to  kill  him  in  a 


372  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

moment,  and  I  cared  not  how  I  spake.)  "  Now," 
said  I,  "  dost  thou  wish  to  know  more  ?  '* 

The  Padre  could  not  reply ;  his  lips  moved  and 
his  breath  whistled  in  his  throat.  His  trembling 
hands  stole  out  toward  the  tall  candlestick  as  if 
to  seize  it  for  a  weapon  or  dash  it  upon  the  floor, 
in  hopes  of  calling  in  a  servant.  I  reached  it  first 
and  placed  it  so  far  away  he  could  not  touch  it. 

"  Dost  thou  remember  Selwyn  Powys  ?  "  I  asked. 
"  Nod  thy  head  and  lie  not !  Answer,  or  I  will 
let  my  point  into  your  body."  I  could  already 
imagine  it  rattling  among  his  bones.  I  wondered 
would  he  bleed !  "  Nod  or  shake  thy  head,"  I 
concluded,  and  with  my  eyesight  growing  crim- 
son, I  placed  the  sword  at  his  heart  —  how  my 
fingers  itched  to  drive  it  home !  Padre  Alonzo 
nodded. 

"  I  am  the  boy  who  heard  him  curse  thee  ere 
thou  racked  his  body.  Has  the  curse  come  true  ?  " 
I  asked,  leaning  close.     "  It  has  !     Meet  thy  end  !  " 

Ere  I  could  draw  back  my  hand  for  the  thrust, 
the  hideous  priest  fell  forward,  and  his  great  shaven 
head  struck  the  oaken  table  with  a  noise  like  a  fall- 
ing block  on  deck.  I  waited  for  him  to  move  again, 
and  I  would  have  stabbed  him.  But  he  lay  there 
where  he  fell.  I  touched  him  and  drew  back  my 
hand  —  it  was  like  fingering  a  skeleton.  No  breath 
came  from  his  body,  his  eyes  were  open  and  glazed. 


The  Padre's   Messenger  373 

I  picked  up  the  paper  he  had  been  writing  when 
he  had  first  turned  and  had  seen  me  —  his  pen  had 
just  left  the  signing  of  it.     The  paper  read  :  — 

"  To  THE  Guardian-Commandant  at  Valliera  :  — 

^'^ Greeting:  Take  care  of  the  two  ladies  that  are  brought 
to  you  with  these  instructions,  and  obey  the  orders  and 
wishes  of  the  messenger  who  accompanies  them.  This 
will  be  rewarded  by  the  King,  and  must  be  respected  by 
any  to  whom  it  may  be  shown. 

"  Alonzo. 
"  Saint  Joseph  watch  over  thee." 

I  slipped  the  paper  into  my  doublet,  and  picking 
up  the  priest's  body,  that  seemed  to  weigh  no  more 
than  that  of  a  child  of  ten,  I  walked  to  the  secret 
passage,  and  bundling  it  in,  I  closed  the  panel. 
Then  blowing  out  the  candle,  I  looked  into  the  hall. 
No  one  was  in  sight  but  a  sentry  fast  asleep,  as 
might  have  been  expected,  guarding  the  big  gate. 
I  might  have  slipped  out  and  got  away ;  there  in 
the  courtyard  stood  four  horses  saddled  and  ready, 
—  two  I  saw  had  panniers,  —  but  I  did  not  run.  I 
walked  up  to  the  sentry,  passed  him,  and  turning  as 
if  entering  from  the  street,  I  shook  him  by  the 
shoulder. 

"Awake!"  said  I.  "I  have  orders  from  Padre 
Alonzo.  Now  look  alive,  and  I  shall  not  report 
thy  sleeping.     Where  is  thy  captain  ?  " 

"  Do  you  mean  Don  Lopez,  my  officer  ? " 


374  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

"  No,  don't  disturb  him,"  I  returned.  "Where 
is  the  captain  of  the  guard  ?  " 

"In  the  little  room  to  the  left ;  he  sleeps  there  on 
a  couch." 

"  Go,  waken  him." 

"  Yes,  my  capitan." 

The  sleepy  officer  appeared. 

"  Where  are  the  two  ladies  De  Valdez  and  the 
Don  Vincent  kept.'^ " 

"In  the  big  state  chamber,  under  guard,  senor. 
Without  orders  I  dare  not.  Don  Vincent  is  held  in 
the  monastery  or  the  castle." 

"  Here  are  your  orders,  given  to  me  by  Padre 
Alonzo  at  the  fortress  of  Chagres.  I  am  to  transfer 
the  prisoners." 

"  Chagres  !  how  comes  he  there  ?  " 

"  Who  can  tell  where  he  may  be  now  or  at  any 
time  ? "  I  returned.  "  Is  he  a  plain  mortal  man 
like  unto  us  ?  " 

"  No,  indeed,  that  he  is  not,"  returned  the 
officer,  handing  back  the  paper  that  he  had  taken  to 
the  fire  to  examine. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI 

drake's  landing 

S  we  rode  away  from  the  old  Vertendonna 
castle,  I  felt  more  as  if  I  were  dreaming 
than  waking.  But  I  had  learned  a  few 
things,  in  the  hours  just  passed,  and  one 
thing  was  that  when  women's  wits  are  sharpened  by- 
danger,  it  is  nigh  impossible  to  trap  them  into  be- 
traying themselves.  I  had  had  no  time  to  prepare 
either  Donna  Maria  or  my  dear  young  lady  for 
my  coming,  and  yet  they  did  not  do  so  much  as 
exchange  a  look  when  they  had  seen  who  was  to  be 
their  guardian.  Not  till  we  were  well  out  into  the 
open  country  did  any  of  us  speak  a  word,  and  then  it 
was  Donna  Maria  who  first  betrayed  her  curiosity. 

"  Explain  this  miracle,  sefior,"  she  entreated. 
"  One  minute  we  are  in  fear  of  the  Inquisition  for 
befriending  thee,  and  the  next  thou  art  coming  to 
our  rescue  as  if  thou  wert  a  member  of  the  King's 
private  council  or  the  Pope's  legate ;  and  whither 
now  with  us  ?     Explain  it  all." 

"  Madam,"  I  returned,  "  it  has  been  God's  will 

375 


376  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

that  has  made  me  an  instrument  of  his  gracious 
mercy  and  judgment." 

"  Which  may  be  true/*  returned  the  lady,  "  but 
tells  us  nothing." 

So  I  began  and  rehearsed  the  tale  as  I  have  told 
it,  and  when  I  came  to  Padre  Alonzo^s  falling  for- 
ward on  the  table,  killed  as  I  thought  from  sheer 
fright  and  terror  (thus  saving  me  the  trouble  of  put- 
ting him  out  of  the  way).  Donna  Maria  interrupted 
me. 

"  All  this  has  happened  before,"  she  said.  "  He 
*does  not  die  —  he  will  never  die  !  Some  say  he  is 
an  hundred ;  he  but  swoons  and  stays  insensible  for 
days.  He  himself  tells  that  his  body  has  been  dead 
for  years  !  Who  has  ever  seen  him  eat  ?  who  knows 
if  he  sleeps  or  drinks  ? " 

"  He  is  dead  this  time  beyond  peradventure," 
said  I,  "and  needs  no  more  feeding  or  slumber. 
He  will  trouble  us  no  more ! " 

I  was  about  going  on  with  my  story,  when  we 
heard  the  clatter  of  hoofs  ahead,  and  I  could  see 
(for  the  sun  was  just  rising)  a  body  of  horsemen 
come  galloping  toward  us  in  a  cloud  of  dust.  As 
they  neared  they  hauled  rein  and  waited  by  the 
roadside.  But  thinking  it  best,  we  did  not  halt  or 
hold  back.  I  told  the  ladies  to  press  boldly 
on,  and  forthwith  an  officer  rode  out  to  meet 
us. 


Drake's  Landing  377 

"  Halt !  Whither  goest  thou  ? "  he  cried,  hailing 
me  from  a  distance. 

"  To  the  monastery  of  Valliera,  near  Sagrcs 
Castle,"  I  returned. 

"  Under  whose  orders,  sefior  ? " 

"Padre  Alonzo's.  I  am  taking  thither  these 
ladies,  who  have  been  placed  in  my  keeping." 
With  that  I  showed  him  the  passport,  and  he 
saluted  humbly. 

"  It  is  strange,"  quoth  he.  "  We  were  to  act 
as  thy  escort.     Are  we  then  so  late  ?  " 

"Your  tardiness  demands  explaining.  I  ex- 
pected to  be  met  with,  ere  this  on  the  road." 

"  I  crave  pardon,  senor ;  there  has  been  some 
mistake.  I  am  sorry ;  but  *tis  no  fault  of 
mine." 

With  that  the  officer  gave  orders  to  his  horse- 
men, and  they  fell  in  behind  us,  he  taking  up  a 
position  by  my  side.  I  could  talk  no  more  now 
to  my  companions,  and  my  brain  was  turning  over 
what  it  would  best  behoove  me  to  say  and  do. 
But  I  was  interrupted  in  my  planning. 

"What  is  the  meaning  of  all  this  mystery, 
sefior  ? "  asked  the  officer  in  a  half  whisper. 
"  Don  Vincent  de  Valdez  is  now  in  confinement 
at  the  castle,  and,  if  I  mistake  not,  I  know  these 
ladies  also  —  I  have  been  at  court." 

"  Thy  curiosity  is  not  proof  of  thy  experience," 


378  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

I  answered.  "Ask  nothing  and  obey  orders  is 
my  advice  to  one  who  seeks  advancement." 

"And  whose  orders  do  I  obey  —  thine,  sir? 
You  speak  with  much  authority." 

"  Mine  and  Padre  Alonzo*s  —  the  King  and  the 
Church.  Say  no  more,  sir,  and  thou  wilt  render 
better  service  to  both." 

With  that  he  hushed  and  sulked  somewhat,  and 
I  had  time  to  gather  my  thoughts  again. 

The  paper  I  possessed  meant  all  in  all  to  me. 
With  it  I  meant  to  work  a  few  plans  to  success- 
ful issue,  and  I  decided  upon  two  designs.  If  one 
promised  badly,  the  other  would  be  left. 

Imprimis,  I  would  ask  the  Commandant  for 
a  boat  to  take  my  party  to  Lagos,  and  I  would 
demand  the  immediate  custody  of  Don  Vincent. 
Once  on  the  water,  I  would  seek  for  the  Admiral, 
who,  I  suspected,  was  not  far  off  the  coast.  Find- 
ing him,  I  should  give  the  ladies  choice  of  sailing 
as  our  guests,  or  returning  to  Cadiz  safely,  where 
they  might  seek  protection  with  their  powerful 
friends  or  find  a  hiding-place.  I  hoped,  and  the 
idea  made  my  heart  bound,  that  I  might  do  such 
good  reasoning  with  Inez  that  she  might  choose 
to  go  with  me,  to  share  my  all,  —  my  life,  my 
name,  and  ever  my  devoted  love;  and  I  fell  to 
flattering  myself  that  in  this  I  would  succeed. 
But  one   false  move  on  my  side,  one  mistake  on 


Drake's  Landing  3*79 

the  part  of  the  ladies,  and  all  would  be  lost !  At 
the  thought  of  it  I  shivered  as  if  a  sneaping  cold 
wind  had  reached  my  marrow. 

We  rode  up  to  the  monastery,  that  was  well 
fortified  and  filled  with  more  soldiers  than  monks, 
and  the  guard  turned  out  to  meet  us.  I  asked 
for  the  guardian,  to  whom  the  paper  was  properly 
addressed. 

An  old  soldier,  grizzled  and  gray,  —  a  command- 
ant of  foot,  —  came  forward  from  a  doorway.  He 
read  Padre  Alonzo's  writing,  and  bowed  as  he  re- 
turned it. 

"  Command  my  service,  senor,"  he  said ;  "  I 
will  obey." 

Here  was  one  after  my  heart ;  I  knew  the  man- 
ner of  a  man  under  authority,  and  I  spoke  with 
sharp  decision :  — 

"  A  boat,  then,  to  start  from  the  bay  three  miles 
from  here ;  have  it  made  ready ;  send  on  a  mes- 
senger, and  bring  also  the  prisoner  who  has  been 
sent  to  Sagres." 

"The  latter  shall  be  done  at  once,  sefior,  but 
a  boat !  no,  'tis  impossible !  There  are  none  but 
shallops,  and  besides,  it  is  rumored  that  the  Eng- 
lish lie  out  but  a  few  miles  to  the  eastward.  They 
landed  at  Lagos,  but  were  driven  back  to  their 
ships  —  praise  to  the  saints  !  —  with  great  slaughter 
—  a  splendid  victory  for  our  brave  forces." 


380  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

I  did  not  smile,  but  I  might  well  have  done  so, 
for  it  was  true  in  part.  The  Admiral  ,had  landed 
to  attack  the  town,  but,  finding  the  place  too 
strong,  he  had  retired  without  the  loss  of  so 
much  as  an  arrow  or  a  man  hit,  but  with  some 
plunder,  nathless,  gathered  up  at  a  rich  church. 

"I  do  not  fear  the  English,"  I  rejoined..  "A 
boat  must  be  found." 

"  It  is  impossible,  senor." 

He  was  so  firm  that  I  saw  that  he  was  right, 
and  forthwith  fell  back  on  my  second  plan. 

"  Have  you  a  coach  and  four  horses  ? "  1  asked. 
"  I  must  proceed  by  land,  then." 

"  Yes,  senor,  a  fine  one  and  good  cattle." 

"  Have  it  made  ready  at  once  ;  despatch  an  order 
for  the  delivery  of  Don  Vincent  de  Valdez  from  the 
castle  over  yonder,  and  spare  no  pains  to  make 
haste.  Padre  Alonzo  wished  me  to  enjoin  that 
upon  you  —  haste." 

"  I  will  endeavor  to  please  his  Worship,"  said  the 
old  Commandant,  as  he  wrote  out  an  order  and  sent 
it  off  by  a  soldier.  "  You  will  also  require  an  escort, 
senor.     Is  there  any  one  you  wish  ?  " 

"  I  will  take  the  young  officer  who  came  here 
with  me  and  two  men,"  said  I,  seeing  that  to  deny 
the  need  might  cause  suspicion. 

The  ladies  had  descended  from  their  horses,  and 
I  ushered  them  into  the  shelter  of  a  large  room  on 


Drake's  Landing  381 

the  west  of  the  great  tower  entrance.  I  longed  for 
a  chance  to  speak  with  them  ;  the  room  was  full  of 
guards,  but  I  took  the  risk  of  not  being  understood. 

"  Donna  Maria,"  said  I,  "  the  paper  I  hold  is  a 
wonder-maker.  At  Lagos  I  shall  attempt  to  do 
what  I  failed  in  here  —  to  gain  a  small  vessel,  and 
put  to  sea ;  we  may  find  Drake,  for  he  is  not  many 
leagues  away,  methinks.  If  so"  —  I  lowered  my 
voice  —  "wilt  come  to  England  with  me?  There 
I  can  prove  to  you  how  deep  is  the  love  I  bear  —  " 

"  Senor,  the  Commandant  ordered  me  make  report 
to  thee."  I  turned;  it  was  the  young  officer  who 
had  interrupted  me,  but  I  had  to  control  my  feelings. 

"Yes,  thou  art  to  accompany  these  ladies  to 
Lagos,  and  to  guard  them  safely,"  I  returned. 

"And  to  whom  do  we  deliver  them,  when  once 
we  get  there  ?  " 

"  Again  thy  curiosity,  young  sir !  'Twill  work 
thy  undoing  surely.  But  I  will  answer  thee ;  softly, 
to  the  most  powerful  man  'twixt  there  and  Cadiz." 

"  Then  thou  must  mean  the  Duke !  the  strongest 
of  Padre  Alonzo's  enemies! "  The  young  man  had 
pronounced  this  last  in  a  half  whisper  in  my  ear. 
"  I  have  been  at  court,  and  know  of  things  that 
these  carls  here  know  naught  of  But  'tis  most 
strange,"  he  concluded. 

"Never  mind  thy  opinions;  stand  by  my  or- 
ders," I  returned,  wondering  who  "  the  Duke  "  was, 


382  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

and  wishing  the  young  coxcomb  a  thousand  miles 
away. 

Just  then  a  soldier  approached,  and  touched  his 
rusty  salet. 

"  Senor,  the  Commandant  desires  to  speak  with 
thee  —  a  matter  of  importance." 

"Tome?" 

"Yes,  senor." 

I  turned ;  there  were  words  burning  my  tongue 
to  say,  but  a  number  of  soldiers  were  listening  now. 
I  could  not  speak  to  the  ladies,  nor  could  I  reply  to 
the  glance  that  I  caught  from  Inez's  eyes. 

"  I  will  take  care  of  them,"  put  in  my  young 
feather- top.     "  Trust  them  with  me." 

"Then  be  on  guard,"  said  I,  and  followed  the 
messenger  out  of  the  room. 

As  we  passed  through  the  courtyard,  I  saw  wait- 
ing there  a  fine  coach  and  four  big  black  horses; 
the  hostlers  were  just  making  the  last  strap  fast. 

In  a  room  on  the  second  floor  the  Commandant 
was  waiting ;  he  was  alone  but  for  a  curious  figure 
that  lay  back  in  a  chair.  The  old  officer  looked 
exceeding  grave. 

"  Listen,  senor,  to  this  tale,"  he  said,  extending  his 
hand  to  the  occupant  of  the  chair.  "  Go  on,"  he 
added  fiercely, "  and  if  thou  liest.  Heaven  help  thee." 

It  was  a  barelegged,  barefooted  old  man  who  sat 
there  panting;  a  crooked  staflf  leaned  against  his 


Drake's  Landing  383 

knees,  and  he  could  scarce  breathe  from  either  pain 
or  weariness,  although  an  empty  wineglass  at  his 
elbow  showed  there  had  been  some  attempt  made 
to  revive  him.  He  lifted  his  hand,  but  could  utter 
no  words  at  first. 

"  This  fellow  was  found  crawling  up  the  road  from 
the  cliffs,"  said  the  Commandant,  "but  a  few  moments 
since.  He  claims  to  have  seen  a  large  fleet  lying  in 
the  little  deserted  bay  where  he  gathers  cockles ;  he 
says  men  were  landing  —  armed  men  from  boats." 

"  The  love  of  Mary ;  'tis  truth ! "  said  the  old 
man,  faintly.  "  I  am  lame  and  nigh  fourscore.  I 
made  all  haste." 

"  If  he  says  true,  it  must  be  the  English,"  quoth 
the  Commandant. 

"  They  came  out  of  the  fog  like  spectres.  I  ran 
till  I  could  run  no  longer,  then  I  crawled."  The 
old  fisherman,  for  such  he  was,  could  hardly  say 
another  word,  his  hand  reached  for  the  wineglass. 
I  was  about  to  pour  him  more,  when  a  loud  cry 
sounded  through  the  great  stone  halls  of  the  mon- 
astery, then  followed  a  great  running  to  and  fro, 
then  the  door  burst  open,  and  a  soldier,  his  hair  on 
end,  charged  in. 

"  Senors  !  "  he  cried,  "  there  is  a  strange  body  of 
men  filling  the  plain  to  seaward.  The  men  who 
brought  the  prisoner  from  the  castle  first  sighted 
them ;  they  say  they  are  the  English  !  " 


384  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

The  old  Commandant  looked  at  me.  "  What  are 
we  to  do?"  asked  he,  faintly.  "We  must  send 
word  into  the  town  !  " 

"What  folly!"  I  exclaimed;  "let  us  be  sure  be- 
fore shooting.  Let  us  keep  cool  and  find  out ;  let 
us  behave  like  soldiers,  like  wise  men,  and  not  like 
children  ! "  I  would  have  made  a  speech  at  great 
length,  for  I  knew  that  every  minute's  delay  would 
help  matters.  But  another  soldier  now  appeared  at 
the  door. 

"We  can  see  them  from  the  turret!"  he  cried, 
"  and  another  company  has  appeared  in  the  rear  of 
the  castle ! " 

"  Come,"  said  the  Commandant,  "  we  will  look 
into  this.  But  as  you  say,  let  us  observe  caution 
and  keep  cool  heads." 

It  required  but  a  glance  even  at  that  distance, 
but  one  look  at  the  marching  line,  for  me  to  know 
it.     Sir  Francis  and  his  Yeomen  and  no  others ! 

"  Fudge ! "  said  I,  "  are  they  not  a  company  or 
two  of  the  King's  foot-soldiers  ?  What  are  we 
alarmed  at  ? " 

I  looked  over  the  edge  of  the  tower  into  the 
courtyard.  It  was  empty  ;  the  coach  had  gone ! 
Off  down  the  highway,  on  the  road  to  Lagos  and 
the  eastward,  rose  a  cloud  of  dust. 

Drake  had  landed,  but  too  late  for  me! 


CHAPTER   XXXVII 

THE    CAPTURE    OF    THE    CAPE 

WAS  Stunned  by  the  discovery.  And 
there  and  then  I  learned  that  it  is  best  at 
times  to  trust  a  cautious  imbecile  than 
an  over-zealous  rattlepate  ;  for  the  young 
officer,  no  doubt  thinking  that  he  had  received  final 
orders  from  me,  had  made  off  with  his  charges  with- 
out further  consultation,  hoping,  mayhap,  in  his 
miserable  hare-brained  head,  to  further  his  ambi- 
tions toward  progress  at  the  court.  Truly,  as  I 
turned,  my  sinking  heart  must  have  shown  in  my 
face.  The  Commandant  grasped  me  by  the  arm,  as 
I  leaned  back  against  the  parapet. 

"  What  hast  thou  discovered  ?  "  he  asked.  "  Are 
they  the  English  ?  " 

"  I  know  not,"  said  I,  my  senses  coming  to  me 
slowly.     "  Mayhap  they  are." 

"  We  had  best  send  a  messenger  back  to  the 
town  to  warn  them !  They  will  hurry  out  rein- 
forcements to  us ;  what  say  you  ?  The  garrison 
there  should  be  forewarned,"  urged  the  Com- 
mandant. 

"  How  many  men  have  we  here  ?  "  I  asked. 
2c  385 


386  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

"  Fourscore,  or  such  a  matter,"  he  replied. 
"  And  they  must  now  be  at  their  stations ;  the  word 
was  passed,  though  we  could  not  find  the  trumpeter." 

Again  I  looked  down  into  the  courtyard.  The 
big  gate  was  closed  and  the  place  was  deserted,  save 
for  a  half-befuddled  pikeman  who  was  trying  to 
buckle  on  his  breastplate.  But  as  I  looked  at  the 
gate  I  saw  a  man  on  horseback  ride  up  and 
thunder  loudly  upon  it  with  the  hilt  of  his  heavy 
sword. 

"  Let  me  in  !  "  he  cried  loudly.  "  A  message 
for  the  Governor!  an  important  message  —  open 
here ! " 

"  Send  some  one  down  and  admit  this  fellow," 
ordered  the  Commandant. 

"  Hold ! "  said  I,  "it  may  be  but  a  ruse  to  gain 
admittance.  Prithee,  let  us  use  caution.  I  have 
it,  senor,  —  Til  go  and  speak  to  this  loud  shouter, 
and  if  he  comes  from  the  town,  or  from  Padre 
Alonzo,  I  would  be  like  to  know  him,  and  we  can 
use  him  as  a  messenger  to  convey  the  tidings  that 
a  suspicious  body  of  men  has  appeared  on  the  plain 
from  the  southward."  With  that  I  hurried  down 
the  stone  steps  and  ran  across  the  courtyard.  The 
upper  half  of  the  big  gate  was  but  an  open  space 
crossed  by  great  iron  bars.  A  ledge  for  archers  or 
musketeers  to  stand  on  ran  just  below.  Mounting 
this,  I  looked  out  through  the  grill. 


The  Capture  of  the  Cape  387 

"  What  do  you  wish  ?  "  asked  I. 

"  What  do  I  wish  ?  "  he  repeated.  "  What  has 
happened  here  ?  Where  are  the  warders  and  why 
are  the  gates  closed  ?     Who  is  in  charge  ? " 

"  Not  so  many  questions,  my  fine  fellow,"  I  re- 
plied, "and  not  one  till  you  have  answered  mine 
first.     What  is  it  you  wish,  and  who  are  you  from  ? " 

"  I  am  from  Padre  Alonzo,"  he  replied,  "  and  I 
have  an  important  message  for  the  Commandant 
Governor ;  I  tell  you  detain  me  no  longer !  " 

"  How  is  the  old  Padre  wizard  ? "  I  asked.  "  Give 
me  his  message." 

"  His  Worship  was  found  half  dead,  thrust  in  a 
hole  in  the  chantry,  so  they  tell  —  with  what  truth  I 
know  not.  He  is  in  a  bad  way,  but  has  sent  me 
here  with  this  paper." 

"  Give  it  me,"  I  replied.  "  Tm  as  much  Gov- 
ernor here  as  any  one." 

The  man  handed  me  a  missive  written  on  a  bit 
of  twisted  paper.  Rising  on  his  stirrups  he  thrust  it 
through  the  bars  and  endeavored  to  look  above  the 
barrier,  but  it  was  much  too  high,  and  he  sank  back 
in  the  saddle.  I  had  read  the  paper  by  this  time 
and  thrust  it  into  my  bosom. 

"Now,"  said  I,  "thy  questions  shall  be  answered. 
Ride  back  at  top  speed  and  tell  thy  worshipful  and 
aged  bag  of  bones,  that  we  know  naught  here  of  any 
escaped  prisoner,  and  that  as  for  ladies,  this  is  a  mon- 


388  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

astery,  so  we  know  naught  of  them.  As  to  what  is 
going  on,  this  is  the  Duke*s  birthday.  Tell  him  we 
celebrate  it  with  all  due  rejoicing ;  we  have  broached 
three  casks  of  wine  and  are  about  to  broach  another, 
and  inform  him  with  our  respects  that  we  intend  to 
have  some  music  and  mayhap  fire  off  some  cannon 
in  the  Duke's  honor.  So,  now,  hie  thee  off  quickly. 
With  all  due  respect,  inform  His  Reverence  that  we 
enjoy  ourselves.     Away  with  thee  !  " 

Whether  the  man  thought  that  I  was  crazy,  or 
that  we  were  all  mad  drunk,  I  do  not  know,  but  he 
turned  his  horse,  and,  digging  in  his  spurs,  he 
pounded  the  road  on  his  way  back  to  the  town,  that 
was  distant  less  than  two  leagues  from  the  castle. 
Quickly  I  returned  and  climbed  the  stairway  to  the 
tower.  I  could  see  that  most  of  the  men  had  taken 
their  stations  at  the  loopholes  and  embrasures,  pow- 
der and  ball  had  been  dealt  out  for  the  callivers  and 
culverins,  and  matches  were  smoking.  But  there 
was  a  lack  of  certainty  in  the  whole  proceeding ;  no 
positive  orders  had  been  issued ;  they  knew  not 
where  they  stood.  The  Commandant  greeted  me 
at  the  head  of  the  stairway. 

"  The  message,"  he  asked,  "  what  was  it  ?  " 

"  It  was  but  an  order,"  I  replied,  "  requesting  us 
not  to  forget  that  to-day  is  the  Duke's  birthday." 

"  Ho,  ho!  "  cried  the  Commandant,  raising  his  eye- 
brows till  they  disappeared  beneath  his  vizor,  "  he 


The  Capture  of  the  Cape  389 

must  have  changed  his  mind  in  the  near  past.  But 
a  short  time  ago  a  man  who  shouted  for  the  Duke 
hereabouts  would  have  had  his  tongue  made  ac- 
quaint with  the  bowstring.  *Tis  passing  strange, 
sefior,  this  change  of  heart !  ** 

I  had  not  known  the  depth  of  hatred  that  existed 
between  the  cousin  of  the  King  and  the  wizard  priest, 
but  now  I  saw  that  the  countryside  must  have  been 
divided,  and  the  people  were  only  waiting  to  join  the 
forces  of  the  more  powerful.  It  was  just  by  fortune 
that  I  chanced  upon  making  this  explanation  of  af- 
fairs to  the  messenger,  guided  by  the  remarks  of  the 
young  officer  who  had  driven  off  with  the  coach.  But 
it  was  the  one  thing  that  had  explained  matters  best. 
I  hastened  now  to  change  the  subject  of  our  speech. 

"  Where,"  said  I,  looking  out  through  the  battle- 
ments, "  where  are  the  foot-soldiers  that  have  caused 
us  all  this  uneasiness  ?  " 

Indeed,  where  were  they  ?  They  had  disappeared ; 
but  I  did  not  know  that  a  slight  hollow  sank  in  the 
wide  plain  and  lay  directly  between  us  and  Sagres 
Castle,  that  rose,  a  huge  pile  of  stone  and  mortar, 
but  a  half-mile  to  the  westward  of  us  on  the  edge 
of  the  cliff. 

Before  any  one  could  speak,  out  of  this  hollow 
rose  a  line  of  heads,  and  without  warning  a  shower 
of  arrows  came  hurtling  through  the  air:  one  passed 
between  my  body  and  elbow !     We  had  been  stand- 


390  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

ing  out  boldly  on  the  tower  top  and  made  a  good 
target,  but  only  one  of  us  was  struck,  and  he  the 
Commandant,  who  fell  back,  grasping  an  arrow  that 
had  transfixed  his  shoulder !  A  volley  was  fired 
through  the  loopholes  of  the  monastery,  but  there 
came  no  answer,  and  just  as  the  smoke  cleared  away, 
we  heard  the  great  castle  replying. 

The  movement  on  our  front  had  been  but  a  feint. 
The  real  attack  was  upon  Sagres,  that  had  been  taken 
front  and  rear  and  well  surprised.  No  one  but  Drake 
would  have  dared  to  risk  his  followers  and  himself 
in  that  bold  way !  I  watched  that  fight,  and  I  can 
vouch  for  it  that  it  was  a  desperate  one.  I  saw  the 
Admiral  lead  the  men  up  that  covered  way  where 
the  cannon  were  discharged  but  a  few  feet  above 
their  heads,  and  they  passed  unscathed.  1  saw  him 
in  the  shelter  of  the  angle  formed  by  the  square 
tower  and  the  round  one,  direct  the  piling  of  the 
fagots  against  the  oaken  door.  From  my  point  of 
vantage  I  could  see  how  he  had  placed  his  bowmen 
and  divided  up  his  men  with  the  firelocks.  And 
when  the  big  gate  burned  and  crashed  away,  I  could 
see  his  figure  jump  forward  with  his  sword  aloft, 
leading  the  other  swords  and  pikes  that  closed  in 
after  him.  A  fine  view  I  had  of  that  fight,  and  it 
was  one,  I  say,  to  be  remembered.  In  a  few  min- 
utes after  the  entrance  had  been  made,  the  flag  came 
down,  and  what  had  been  reckoned  upon  as  one  of 


The  Capture  of  the  Cape  391 

the  strongest  castles  of  old  Spain  had  fallen  before 
the  assault  of  a  few  handfuls  of  English  sailor-men, 
led  by  a  leader  who  knew  how  such  things  should 
be  done.  The  fort  known  as  Avelera  was  now  out- 
flanked on  its  undefended  side,  and  it  surrendered 
also. 

Then  we  could  see  the  forces  marshalling  upon 
the  plain,  and  that  they  were  about  to  attack  our 
stronghold  was  made  evident.  But  owing  to  a 
strange  set  of  circumstances,  this  attack  never  took 
place,  and  why  ?  Because  /  surrendered  it !  That 
is  the  plain  statement  of  the  matter.  At  all  events, 
let  me  tell  how.  After  the  poor  Commandant  had 
given  over  the  charge  to  me,  entreating  that  I 
should  defend  the  place  to  the  last  drop  of  my 
blood,  I  reasoned  with  him,  and  at  last  he  came 
to  my  way  of  thinking.  What  use  was  there  in 
fighting  ?  —  all  knew  that  we  were  brave  !  I  should 
obtain  permission  for  us  and  our  men  to  march 
back  with  honor  to  the  town,  and  allow  the  Eng- 
lish to  take  possession ! 

I  laugh  as  I  sit  here  and  think  of  it,  —  of  how 
I  stepped  out  with  the  flag  of  truce,  and  aston- 
ished every  man  of  the  company  by  calling  him 
by  name!  "Ho!  Bellingham !  Ho!  Clifford! 
Ho !  Bostwicke !  "  I  can  yet  feel  how  my  bones 
cracked  when  Drake,  all  powder  smoke  and  grime, 
clipped  me  in  his  arms  as  soon  as  I  avowed  myself. 


;^^2  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

"  Well !  "  cried  he,  "  I  shall  have  thee  hung  at 
the  yardarm  for  a  witch !  I  leave  thee  at  sea  to 
take  charge  of  a  vessel,  and,  by  my  word,  thou 
meetest  me  the  first  thing  on  land  and  givest  me 
a  castle !  Verily,  had  I  more  men  like  unto  this 
one,  I  had  but  to  scatter  them  about  and  we 
would  take  the  kingdom  piecemeal." 

Somehow,  despite  all  the  kind  things  that  were 
said  to  me  and  the  many  welcoming  pressures  of 
the  hand,  I  could  not  respond  with  joyance.  I 
thought  of  a  four-horse  coach  that  was  now  leagues 
and  leagues  away  on  the  road  to  Lagos.  I  thought 
of  a  slender  figure  leaning  back  on  the  cushioned 
seat,  or  looking  out  of  the  window  with  dark, 
wondering  eyes.  My  heart,  I  knew,  had  left  me, 
but  there  was  my  duty  yet  to  be  done,  for  was  I 
not  one  of  the  Guild  again .?  And  so  I  once  more 
strove  to  win  for  myself  those  coveted  words  of 
praise  that  the  Admiral  so  seldom  now  let  fall.  I 
tried  to  forget,  also,  the  great  thing  that  worried 
me,  but  as  the  flames  leaped  high  that  night  (for 
we  put  the  castle,  the  monastery,  and  two  adjoin- 
ing towers  to  the  torch),  it  seemed  to  me  that  I 
was  burning  up  my  hopes  in  the  great  fires.  As 
we  put  out  from  land,  they  were  still  smouldering. 
Farewell  to  Spain  ! 

What  did  Padre  Alonzo  think  now  of  his  mys- 
terious prisoner  ?     I  was  rather  glad  if  he  had  lived 


The  Capture  of  the  Cape  393 

to  learn  what  had  happened;  it  seemed  to  me 
that  the  revenge  was  more  complete  than  if  his 
scrawny  body  had  been  destroyed. 

I  never  found  out  one  thing  that  I  would  have 
liked  to :  did  my  message  about  the  Duke's  birth- 
day prevent  him  from  sending  out  to  help  at  the 
celebration  ?  Many  people  have  wondered  why  the 
fortified  monastery  at  Valliera  surrendered  without 
a  blow.     I  have  now  told  the  world  the  truth  of  it. 

I  related  my  story  to  Sir  Francis  when  once  wc 
got  to  sea,  and  he  listened  without  a  word  of  in- 
terruption to  the  very  end  of  it.  When  I  had 
finished,  he  made  but  one  comment. 

"  Thou  hast  had  a  week  like  a  night  in  a  legend," 
he  laughed,  "  and  I  wonder  that  thou  hast  any  head 
left ;  it  is  plain  where  thy  heart  lies.  Now,"  said 
he,  "  regard  me,  for  the  once,  as  a  prophet.  This 
young  lady  thou  shalt  see  again,  for  Spain  and 
England  are  not  so  far  apart,  and  we  will  win  such 
safety  for  an  Englishman  that  —  like  unto  the  days 
of  the  Romans,  that  Saint  Paul  speaks  of  when  he 
said,  '  I  am  a  Roman,'  and  they  feared  to  touch 
him  —  thou  wilt  say, '  I  am  English,*  and  walk  any- 
where in  safety.  Would  that  I  were  so  sure  of 
winning  success  as  thou  art  of  finding  happiness." 
Then  he  went  on  to  speak  about  the  troubles  he 
had    had  with    Borough,   and    how   the  latter   had 


394  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

hindered  all  his  doings  as  much  as  he  could  by  his 
constant  remonstrances  and  cautions.  "  But,"  said 
Drake,  "  see  what  I  have  done ;  I  have  swept  St. 
Vincent  —  the  most  important  cape  of  Spain!  It 
is  free  for  the  landing  of  an  English  army;  we 
could  go  there  and  take  possession  at  any  moment. 
I  have  crippled  the  King's  hand  until  he  can  no 
longer  wield  a  weapon.  Faith  !  will  we  ever  forget 
the  floating  fires  at  Cadiz  ?  two  days*  fighting  and 
I  lose  no  men  killed !  And  now  what  should  I 
be  doing  ?  Some  say  off  for  home,  to  be  cast  into 
prison,  maybe,  for  exceeding  authority  and  break- 
ing rules  writ  for  old  ladies  by  the  clerk  of  the 
ships !  And  they  will  tell  us  that  we  are  not  yet 
at  war  with  Spain  !  And  Mendoza  will  have  in- 
terviews with  the  Queen,  but  I  know  a  salve  that 
works  wonders.  'Od*s  love !  Tm  going  to  bring 
back  with  me  so  much  gold  that  every  man  who 
opens  his  mouth  to  complain  may  be  gagged  with 
it.  *Tis  strange  how  hard  it  is  to  talk  with  a 
mouthful  of  gold  smothering  the  tongue !  " 

He  finished  this  long  speech,  and  I  knew  that 
it  was  but  a  preamble  to  something  that  was  to 
follow. 

"  Where  is  Admiral  Borough  ? "  I  asked. 
Drake  frowned. 

"  He  is  under  arrest  aboard  his  ship,"  he  replied. 
"  I  sent  him  there.     And  now,"  said  he,  "  Sir  Mat- 


The  Capture  of  the  Cape  395 

thew,  I  intend  to  ask  a  favor  of  thee.  Wilt  thou 
go  to  England  in  charge  of  a  vessel  that  I  will  give 
thee  ?  and  there  wilt  thou  say  that  thou  hast  come 
from  Drake  ?  Gain  the  ear  of  the  Queen,  tell  her 
what  I  have  done,  and  bid  her  help  me,  for  I  must 
have  help ;  and  besides,  I  need  a  friend  at  court. 
Mark  me,  this  I  shall  not  forget." 

And  so  it  came  to  pass  that  in  a  small  vessel,  my 
first  command,  I  put  off  for  England,  and  by  the 
time  that  I  arrived  there  I  was  all  English  again; 
my  beard  and  hair  were  their  natural  color,  so  that 
I  was  forced  no  longer  to  explain,  and  I  told  no  one 
my  tale.  Faithfully  did  I  represent  the  Admiral's 
cause,  but  when  he  returned  he  brought  with  him 
above  two  hundred  and  forty  thousand  pounds,  and 
that  spoke  for  him  also,  so  that  he  fell  not  in  royal 
favor.  But  what  cared  I  for  my  share  of  this  profit  ? 
I  had  gained  and  lost  more  than  I  could  value  in 
words  and  figures.  And  Drake  one  day,  when  we 
sat  at  table,  almost  angered  me  when  he  replied 
to  the  assembled  company,  who  twitted  me  upon 
my  vacant  look,  — 

"  Sir  Matthew's  castles  are  in  England,  my  mas- 
ters, but  his  heart  is  down  in  Spain." 


CHAPTER   XXXVIII 

THE    ARMADA 


~       I  YEAR  had  gone  by;  it  was  1588,  July, 

/\         and  much  had  happened.     It  was  worth 

/    \      not  a  little  to  me  to  have  had  an  admiral 

'  for  a  tutor,  and  during  all  this  time,  after 

Drake*s  return,  I  had  been  studying  to  become  a 
better  sailor-man  and  a  more  knowing  captain  under 
his  direction.  I  was  madly  eager  for  work  on  the 
water !  Not  a  person  in  England  now,  who  could 
read  or  had  ears  to  hear  with,  but  knew  of  the  great 
fleet  which  Philip  had  prepared  to  send  against  us. 

Shall  England  ever  forget  the  day  when  the  hills 
were  crowned  with  the  dark  smoke  of  the  beacon 
fires,  and  the  news  spread  from  port  to  port  that 
the  Spaniards  had  been  sighted  down  the  Channel  ? 
Shall  I  cease  to  remember  how  I  heard  the  news  ? 
Shall  I  ever  forget  my  first  sight  of  the  Armada,  as 
it  came  crowding  on,  travelling  with  vanguard  and 
rearguard,  flankers  and  guiders,  like  an  army  on  the 
march  ?  As  far  as  the  eye  could  see  it  was  nothing 
but  ships,  ships,  ships !  Huge  galleons,  towering 
two  decks  above  any  that  England  could  show,  big 
vessels  that  were  up  in  the  hundreds  of  tons,  gal- 

396 


The  Armada 


397 


leasses  loaded  with  men-at-arms,  ureas  crowded  with 
beasts  of  burden  and  cannon  for  field  and  siege. 
There  were  one  hundred  and  fourteen  sail  in  that 
mighty  fleet !  But  all  this  is  a  forecast ;  let  me 
hark  back  a  bit. 

What  a  trouble  we  had  had  during  the  months 
and  weeks  previous  to  the  meeting  with  the  enemy ! 
With  Sir  Francises  plans  well  devised,  his  forces 
fairly  organized,  we  had  been  held  in  check,  gallied, 
and  delayed  by  the  powers  at  court.  Frobisher, 
Hawkins,  and  Fenner,  all  of  whom  I  knew  well, 
had  agreed  to  the  Admiral's  designs.  We  knew 
that  the  Spanish  fleets  lay  disrupted  somewhere  on 
the  coast  of  Spain.  They  would  have  fallen  prey 
to  us,  had  we  been  given  the  orders  for  which  we 
prayed.  But  no,  we  had  hung  in  port,  or  made 
short  excursions  to  the  southward  and  eastward,  fet- 
tered by  a  few  written  words  that  the  powers  then 
directing  matters  sent  down  to  us,  and  by  this  I  do 
not  mean  to  reflect  upon  the  Queen.  She  gave  her 
gracious  help.  We  had  men  aplenty  in  the  big 
fleets,  but  victuals  were  scarce,  supplies  were  lack- 
ing. What  did  my  Lord  Howard  write  from 
Plymouth  to  my  Lord  Burghley?  "My  good  lord, 
there  is  here  the  gallantest  company  of  captains, 
soldiers,  and  mariners  that  ever  were  seen  in  Eng- 
land. It  were  a  pity  that  they  should  lack  meat 
when  they  are  so  desirous  to  spend  their  lives  in 


398  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

Her  Majesty's  service."  At  one  time  the  jealousies 
and  bickerings  had  ceased,  the  game  had  appeared 
to  be  in  sight,  and  we  had  set  sail  from  Ushant, 
heading  south,  and  this  time  the  weather  and  not 
man,  had  headed  us,  and  we  were  forced  back  to 
Plymouth  again.  It  was  then  that  the  news  reached 
us  that  the  Armada  was  off  the  Lizard,  and  they 
had  us  on  the  hip.     So  we  come  to  the  day. 

Now  it  was  true  that  Drake  was  playing  at  bowls 
with  Lord  Howard,  Sir  Robert  Southwell,  Captain 
Fenner,  and  George  Raymond,  and  I  was  standing 
by  marking  the  tally,  and  was  first  to  see  Flemming 
come  leaping  the  fence  like  a  hurdler,  and  charging 
o*er  the  lawn.  Breathlessly  he  told  us  that  the 
Spanish  had  been  sighted,  and  that  a  pinnace  had 
just  sailed  in  with  the  all-important  news.  It  would 
be  hard  to  imagine  how  much  this  meant !  They 
had  us  where  we  had  hoped  to  have  had  them ! 
We  were  inshore  and  to  leeward.  To  my  mind,  as 
I  first  grasped  the  news,  we  were  surely  trapped. 
Now  follow ;  there  has  been  much  confusion  in  the 
reports  and  tales  of  what  occurred  when  the  news 
was  brought,  but  I  can  see  Sir  Francis  standing 
there,  balancing  a  ball  upon  the  tips  of  his  fingers, 
as  he  turns  and  says  to  my  Lord  Howard :  — 

"  Come,  come,  my  lord,  let's  to  the  game  and 
finish  it.  The  score  is  even.  There's  time  to  beat 
the  Spaniards  after." 


The  Armada 


399 


Hearty  old  Raymond  slapped  his  thigh  and  burst 
into  a  roar  of  laughter,  but  the  speech  had  strength- 
ened all  of  us. 

"  To  your  ships,  gentlemen,"  ordered  Lord 
Howard,  and  we  hastened  to  the  shore,  where  there 
was  a  great  turmoil  and  uproar.  I  rowed  off  to 
my  own  little  vessel  of  one  hundred  and  forty  tons. 
She  was  a  craft,  by  the  way,  loaned  to  the  Queen 
by  old  Mr.  Blandford,  and  outfitted  at  my  expense. 
With  me,  besides  a  very  able  crew  of  Devon  men, 
were  three  members  of  the  Guild,  —  Roger  Truman, 
who  was  my  boatswain ;  Parker,  who  was  but  a  lad 
with  us  in  the  western  seas ;  and  another  smart 
young  sailor  whose  name  I  disremember.  The  rest 
of  the  yeomen  were  with  Drake  aboard  the  old 
Revenge. 

Lord  Harry !  how  we  worked  that  night,  for 
many  of  the  vessels  had  to  be  warped  beyond  the 
point,  and  even  when  we  had  got  there  it  was  a  dead 
beat  to  windward  and  hard  work  to  keep  off  the 
land.  Had  there  not  been  sailors  at  the  ropes  and 
captains  at  the  helms,  many  a  good  craft  would  have 
left  her  bones  ashore.  But  when  day  dawned  the 
deed  had  been  done.  We  were  beyond  the  Eddy- 
stone,  and  ere  long,  and  to  the  southward,  I  saw  the 
sight  that  I  have  written  of  at  the  beginning  of  this 
chapter.     There  lay  the  great  Armada ! 

They  say  that  Medina-Sidonia  had  thought  us 


400  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

safely  locked  in  Plymouth,  and  that  such  good  sea- 
men as  Admiral  de  Recalde  and  Don  Pedro  de 
Valdez  (who,  by  the  way,  was  my  uncle)  supposed 
that  we  had  come  from  the  northward,  or  at  least 
from  Portsmouth.  But,  wherever  we  came  from, 
they  must  have  seen  that  we  were  ready  to  meet 
our  enemy.  It  seemed  that  they  regarded  us  at 
first  with  marked  disdain,  for  they  allowed  us  to  sail 
down  the  coast,  across  their  line,  and  to  reach  a  posi- 
tion that  —  had  they  known  it  —  was  the  very  one 
for  which  we  had  been  praying.  To  describe  the 
various  tactics  or  the  formations  employed  in  mak- 
ing the  great  fight  that  filled  the  following  days,  is 
not  my  province.  I  had  my  own  little  vessel  to 
look  after,  my  own  position  to  fulfil,  and  it  is  what 
I  saw  the  Admiral  do,  and  what  I  did  myself,  that  I 
shall  tell  on. 

Drake  has  dismissed  the  battle  of  Sunday,  the 
2 1  St,  with  but  few  words,  and  I  have  heai*d  him  in 
speaking  of  it  claim  that  it  was  "  but  passing  can- 
non shot."  However,  it  was  a  lively  interchange, 
and  in  the  course  of  it  I  met  with  an  adventure. 

My  little  Sparhawk  could  be  handled  like  a 
shallop,  and  I  found  no  difliculty  in  saiHng  in  and 
out,  even  among  our  own  vessels.  But  the  cannon 
we  carried  were  so  light  of  metal  that  it  was  out  of 
question  for  me  to  fight  at  long  range,  and  it  was 
all  I  could  do  to  keep  my  men  from  running  too 


The  Armada  401 

close  to  the  flanks  of  the  enemy,  where  their  num- 
bers might  have  swamped  us.  I  was  somewhere  in 
advance,  when  there  came  a  sudden  cloud  of  sul- 
phurous smoke  and  the  dull  report  from  the  midst 
of  the  Spanish  fleet,  that  hailed,  to  them,  some 
great  calamity.  I  saw  the  San  Salvador,  one  of  the 
largest  of  the  southern  squadron,  drop  back  in 
flames  —  and  how  we  English  made  for  her  !  But 
the  Spanish  rallied  in  such  force  that  we  did  not 
succeed  in  laying  her  aboard.  I  had  got  in  so 
close,  however,  that  had  I  been  of  larger  force,  I 
could  have  taken  her !  In  fact,  it  was  in  my  mind 
to  take  the  tall  risk,  when  I  perceived  that  it  was 
not  to  be. 

Four  great  ships  were  bearing  down  to  the  in- 
jured craft's  assistance.  Her  two  upper  decks  had 
been  blown  out.  She  was  afire  at  the  stern,  but  the 
men  were  working  gallantly  to  extinguish  the  flame, 
and  she  was  worth  saving.  Truman  had  called  my 
attention  to  a  small  boat  that  had  shoved  off  from 
the  side  of  the  San  Salvador  a  moment  before  we 
neared.  The  wind  caught  it  and  wafted  it  away  to 
leeward.  I  could  see  that  it  contained  some  people 
of  importance,  for  a  silken  flag  floated  at  the  bow, 
and  a  tall  man  in  a  great  plumed  hat  stood  in  the 
stern  sheets,  urging  the  men  at  the  oars.  So  I  put 
our  helm  hard  down,  and,  judging  the  distance 
well,  saw  that   I  could  reach  the  boat  before  the 


402  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

Spanish  ship  could  pick  it  up.  Foot  by  foot  we 
gained  on  it.  The  men  had  run  forward  to  the 
bows  and  were  swinging  loose  a  demi-cannon,  pre- 
paring to  sink  the  shallop  should  it  not  surrender. 
One  of  the  on-coming  Spanish  vessels  had  swung 
off  to  prevent  us  carrying  out  our  purpose.  It  was 
a  question  if  she  would  not  head  us.  The  man  at 
the  helm  looked  up  at  me. 

"We  can  run  her  down,"  said  he,  "and  bear 
away,  sir." 

I  ran  forward  and  hung  o'er  the  forecastle  rail. 
Nearer  we  came  and  nearer.  The  men  in  the  small 
boat  were  mad  with  terror  now.  Some  of  the  row- 
ers dropped  their  oars  and  raised  their  hands. 
Those  in  the  stern  sheets  half  stood  up,  as  if  about 
to  jump,  and  then  at  that  instant  I  perceived,  alack ! 
that  at  least  two  of  the  party  gathered  there  were 
women !  The  tall  officer  had  unsheathed  his  sword 
and  stood  on  guard  as  if  he  might  expect  to  sink 
us  single-handed.  It  was  the  falling  back  of  a  hood 
that  had  disclosed  to  me  how  precious  a  cargo  the 
little  boat  was  carrying.  They  were  almost  beneath 
our  bows,  and  was  I  mad  or  dreaming  —  there 
stood  Donna  Maria,  and  beside  her,  the  wind  blow- 
ing her  dark  hair  back  from  her  face,  was  Inez! 
Never  did  I  let  my  voice  out  in  such  a  shouted 
order. 

"  Hard-a-lee  !   hard-a-lee  !  "   I   cried,  and  with  a 


The  Armada 


403 


roaring  and  shaking  of  our  foresail,  the  ship  came 
up  into  the  wind.  The  shallop  struck  our  star- 
board bow,  glanced,  half  filled  with  water,  swirled 
for  a  minute,  and  was  saved.  One  of  the  men  near 
me  snatched  up  a  firelock  and  laid  it  across  the  bul- 
warks. I  dashed  him  to  one  side,  and  stopped  an- 
other man  as  he  was  about  to  point  a  second.  We 
came  about  on  the  new  tack  and  left  the  little  boat 
to  be  picked  up  by  the  on-coming  Spaniard,  and 
thus  it  was  that  I  missed  sinking  one  of  the  chief 
officers  of  the  great  Armada,  but  had  saved  myself 
from  shortening  my  own  life,  for  had  I  been  late  in  the 
giving  of  that  order,  I  should  not  have  cared  to  live  ! 
I  marked  well  the  vessel  that  picked  them  up. 
She  was  a  great  four-decked  craft  with  a  brilliant 
yellow  stripe  running  her  full  length,  a  high,  gilded 
stern,  and  bedecked  with  streamers  and  ancients. 
I  would  have  known  her  anywhere.  She  let  fly 
at  us  as  we  made  off,  but  her  shots  went  wide. 
At  first  I  could  not  gather  my  thoughts  together 
enough  to  reason  as  to  what  it  would  be  best  to 
do.  I  longed  to  tell  some  one  —  I  craved  advice. 
Had  my  eyes  played  me  false  ?  In  fact,  I  was  so 
taken  aback  altogether  that  if  my  second  in  com- 
mand had  not  come  to  the  front  and  assumed 
charge  of  the  ship,  I  might  have  got  into  trouble, 
for  we  were  holding  on  most  dangerously  close  to 
the  Spanish  line. 


404  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

I  went  on  board  the  flagship  that  night  and  told 
my  tale  to  the  Admiral,  and  what  did  he  say  ? 

"  Look  alive,  Sir  Matthew,  or  we  will  be  think- 
ing more  of  love-making  than  of  fighting !  "  and 
then  he  laughed. 

"  Never  fear.  Admiral,"  I  replied.  "  I  will  take 
care  that  there  is  no  complaint  forthcoming ;  all 
I  ask  is  that,  if  we  lay  them  alongside,  I  be  given 
a  chance  to  make  fast  to  the  big  galleon  with  the 
yellow  stripe." 

"You  will  get  that,*'  he  said,  "and  I  will  be 
with  you ;  we  will  hunt  in  couples." 

"  Why  won't  the  Spanish  haul  their  wind  and 
fight  us  ?  "  I  asked.  "  What  purpose  have  they 
in  huddling  up  the  Channel  ?  " 

"  I  take  it,"  Drake  replied,  "  that  they  are  acting 
under  orders  to  join  with  Parma  off  Dunkirk. 
And  it  is  not  far  from  there  that  the  great  battle 
will  be  fought.  We  have  given  them  but  a  taste 
of  what  is  to  come  !  " 

We  had  drawn  off  for  the  night;  the  Spaniards 
had  extinguished  the  fire  in  the  big  galleon,  though 
in  the  confusion  one  of  their  large  ships  had  been 
almost  dismantled  by  running  afoul  of  their  hulks. 
They  had  gained  their  well-kept  formation  and 
were  pressing  forward,  their  signal  lights  flashing 
and  dotting  the  waters  to  the  northeast. 


The  Armada 


405 


It  is  of  the  battle  of  July  23d  that  I  Intend  to 
write.  The  day  previous  we  had  fought  a  fight 
almost  in  mid-channel  and  had  taken  a  few  ships, 
—  among  them  the  half-wrecked  San  Salvador  and 
several  minor  prizes ;  but  it  was  Tuesday's  battle 
that  will  remain  forever  in  my  mind.  I  had  kept 
as  close  as  might  be  to  the  Revenge^  and  we  were 
well  up  to  the  westward  and  partly  in  the  rear, 
when  Howard  made  his  change  of  front  and  tacked 
on  the  new  wind  to  the  east.  But  he  was  fair  to 
lose  the  weather  gauge;  and  Drake,  seeing  this, 
held  on,  signalling  his  own  ships  for  closer  action. 
We  bore  up  to  windward,  and  soon  were  in  the 
thick  of  it.  The  Sparbawk^  having  nimble  heels, 
kept  in  the  van. 

The  smoke  hung  over  the  water  like  a  fog,  and 
the  first  thing  that  I  knew,  we  had  sailed  down 
into  it,  and  the  Spanish  ships  were  to  the  left  and 
right  of  us.  It  was  give  and  take  on  every  side. 
I  had  chance  more  than  once  to  grapple  and  board, 
and  was  saved  from  destruction  on  more  than  one 
occasion  by  the  very  size  of  our  adversaries,  whose 
shot  passed  over  me,  while  I  raked  them  from  be- 
neath and  sent  the  splinters  flying.  For  more  than 
ten  minutes  I  had  not  seen  an  English  flag.  The 
wind  had  fallen  somewhat,  and  the  great,  unwieldy 
galleons  pitched  to  and  fro,  with  their  sails  some- 
times flat  aback,  hopelessly  bewildered. 


4o6  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

Their  captains  hailed  one  another,  asking  for  or- 
ders like  country  bumpkins  at  a  fire.  I  fain  believe 
that,  though  some  of  their  missiles  failed  to  find 
lodgment  in  English  oak,  nevertheless  they  wrought 
great  destruction  elsewhere.  On  one  occasion  two 
great  ships  of  Spain  galled  one  another  direly, 
not  only  once,  but  thrice !  But  I  had  failed  to  see 
what  my  eyes  sought  for  most,  —  the  galleon  with 
the  yellow  stripe ! 

Suddenly,  pressing  along,  wending  her  way  skil- 
fully through  the  crowding,  blazing  shipping,  I  saw 
the  Revenge,  Her  men  were  cheering  as  they  worked 
the  guns.     I  kept  in  close  to  her. 

"  Well  done.  Spar  hawk  !  "  cried  some  one  from 
the  quarter-deck,  and,  looking  up,  I  saw  the  Admi- 
ral himself  Our  men  responded  with  an  answering 
shout.  She  swept  by  us,  and  at  that  moment  the 
heavy  smoke  lifted,  and  right  astern  I  saw  the  ves- 
sel I  had  been  searching  for.  She  was  well  handled 
and,  unlike  the  others,  had  kept  her  sails  filled. 

"  Admiral  Drake  !  "  I  cried.  "  There  she  lies 
yonder ! "  I  pointed  to  where  the  great  ship  lay. 
Whether  Sir  Francis  had  heard  or  not,  I  did  not 
know,  but  taking  it  for  granted  that  he  had,  I 
squared  away,  and,  coming  up  astern,  we  fastened  to 
the  Spaniard's  sides  like  a  bulldog  on  the  flanks  of 
a  baited  animal.  And  now  there  followed  some 
great  fighting !     She  was  over  three  times  our  size. 


'S 
a, 

-5 


The  Armada  407 

and  carried  three  times  as  many  men.  But  twice 
my  brave  fellows  gained  her  deck,  only  to  be  beaten 
back.  Could  she  have  depressed  her  guns  enough, 
we  would  have  been  sunk  by  one  discharge,  but  our 
small  size  favored  us.  At  last,  to  my  great  dismay, 
I  saw  the  case  was  hopeless,  and,  with  my  heart 
almost  breaking,  I  cut  away  the  grappling  lines. 

Just  as  we  floated  clear,  up  came  the  Admiral, 
and  the  English  cheer  rang  out  again !  I  can  hear 
now  the  crash  of  the  broadside !  I  can  see  the 
Spaniard  leap  and  quiver,  'neath  the  heavy  blow ! 
And  then  a  strange  fear  came  over  me.  Would  my 
loved  one  be  safe  from  that  storm  of  iron  ?  Would 
I  be  in  time  to  rescue  her  ? 

Calling  all  hands  to  make  what  sail  we  could,  I 
tried  to  regain  the  position  I  had  lost,  but  the  rig- 
ging of  the  Sparhawk  had  been  so  shattered  and  so 
much  top  hamper  had  been  shot  away,  that  we  were 
scarcely  more  now  than  a  hulk,  though  tight  and 
sound  below.  And  then  I  saw  the  flagship  strike 
the  Spaniard's  side,  and  I  knew  she  was  as  good  as 
taken.  But  out  of  the  smoke  came  another  great 
shape,  with  many  decks,  towering  one  above  an- 
other!  One  of  King  Philip's  royal  ships  upon 
whose  stern  I  read  San  Luis,  came  roaring  along. 
The  Sparhawk  was  almost  athwart  her  bows,  and 
there  was  no  way  of  escape !  My  men  left  their 
posts  and    came   running  aft!     She  struck  us  fair 


4o8  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

and  square,  and  we  rolled  over  almost  bottom  up- 
ward. There  came  a  great  grinding,  crunching 
sound  as  the  huge  bows  bore  us  down  !  But  Eng- 
lish ships  are  stoutly  built,  even  if  they  be  but  mer- 
chantmen, and  though,  from  our  bulwarks  to  below 
the  water-line  we  were  cut  and  splintered,  we  sheared 
off  and  still  floated. 

As  if  disdaining  to  look  and  see  what  had  become 
of  us,  the  San  Luis  held  her  course,  straight  for 
where  the  Revenge  was  fighting  the  big  galleon. 
Close  up  she  ranged,  and  almost  with  a  cry  of  hor- 
ror I  perceived  that  the  Admiral  would  be  caught 
between  two  fires!  Either  vessel  was  larger  than 
the  flagship ;  each  one  must  have  rated  at  least  eight 
hundred  tons ;  the  Revenge  was  hardly  more  than 
half  of  that.  The  San  Luis  closed  upon  her.  It 
appeared  as  if  she  would  be  crushed  between  them. 
Drake  saw  his  danger,  but  he  had  kept  his  sails  full. 
I  heard  a  trumpet  blow  an  English  call,  I  saw  the 
larboard  broadside  of  the  flagship  speak,  and  then 
how  it  came  about  I  could  not  tell,  but  the  Revenge 
slipped  out  from  between  them  like  a  thing  alive, 
and  the  two  huge  vessels  crashed  together !  I  could 
hear  them  roaring  like  great  maddened  beasts,-^ 
foiled  of  their  prey  ! 

But  the  Sparhawk  was  settling  deeper  and  deeper, 
and  I  had  to  mind  what  went  on  about  me.  We 
had  one  small  boat  left.     It  would  not  hold  our 


The  Armada 


409 


wounded  or  those  of  us  that  were  left  alive,  so  all 
of  our  energies  were  now  bent  to  make  a  raft  that 
would  suffice  to  keep  us  on  top  the  water,  and  we 
had  no  time  to  spare.  We  had  but  launched  it  and 
shoved  off  when  the  brave  little  vessel  pitched  for- 
ward and  sank  with  a  great  bubbling  moan. 

We  had  come  to  a  pretty  pass,  indeed.  The 
little  rowboat  was  crowded  to  the  gunwales.  With 
every  dip  we  shipped  the  tops  of  the  choppy 
seas  and  were  forced  to  bail.  The  men  we  had 
saved  lay  on  the  hastily  built  raft,  with  the  water 
dashing  over  them.  The  fight  had  drifted  to  the 
eastward  where  the  smoke  still  hung  thick.  Sud- 
denly there  came  a  change  of  wind,  and  it  appeared 
to  be  coming  back  to  us.  All  at  once  out  of  the 
ruck  and  clamor,  I  saw  the  flagship  come  again. 
Drake,  as  usual,  was  taking  advantage  of  the  change 
in  direction  of  the  wind  to  keep  upon  the  flank. 
He  hove  up  short,  and  I  saw  three  or  four  of  his 
vessels  gather  near,  in  obedience  to  the  signals  he 
had  given  them.  They  were  scarce  a  long-bow- 
shot distance.  Even  at  the  risk  of  foundering  I 
called  the  men  to  lay  back  on  the  oars,  and  bailing 
and  plashing,  we  gained  the  flagship's  side.  Some- 
how I  scrambled  up  on  deck.  The  Admiral  looked 
at  me  as  if  he  had  seen  a  ghost.  Bftacroft  Libra 

"  What,  ho.  Sir  Matthew  ! ''  he  cried,  "  art  thou 
alive  ?     God  be  praised !     I  thought  Fd  seen  the 


4IO  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

last  of  you.  We  need  officers,"  he  went  on,  speak- 
ing quickly ;  "  take  charge  there,  off  the  forecastle.** 

I  ran  to  my  post,  and  within  five  minutes  we  were 
in  the  thick  of  it  again.  I  kept  a  lookout  for  the 
yellow  stripe,  but  could  not  see  her,  but  soon  I  had 
other  things  to  think  of  We  were  close  aboard  a 
great  galleasse,  and,  ranging  up,  made  fast  to  her. 
I  was  one  of  the  first  upon  her  deck,  and  back  of 
me  were  fourscore  good  English  swords.  She  had 
been  badly  handled  ere  we  found  her,  and  her  crew 
were  in  dire  confusion.  On  her  high  poop  a  knot 
of  officers  were  trying  to  rally  some  pikemen  and 
musketeers.  At  them  we  went,  and  soon  the  blows 
and  cuts  and  thrusts  were  passing.  Some  one 
parried  a  great  stroke  that  I  aimed  and  I  saw  before 
me  a  man  in  half  armor,  his  eyes  gleaming  from 
behind  a  heavy  vizor  that  hid  his  face.  I  thrust 
again !  My  point  caught  beneath  his  steel-clad 
arm,  and  broke  short  off.  For  half  a  minute  with 
the  hilt  I  managed  to  keep  him  away,  but  he  would 
have  borne  me  dowh  had  not  something  unforeseen 
happened  at  the  instant.  A  great,  bare-headed 
sailor-man  pushed  up  beside  me. 

"  Tm  here.  Sir  Matthew!**  some  one  cried,  and 
though  I  could  not  glance  about,  I  knew  the  voice 
for  that  of  Roger  Truman.  He  was  armed  with  a 
great  capstan  bar  that  few  men  could  have  done 
more  than  lift  to  shoulder,  but  in  his  hands  it  might 


The  Armada  411 

have  been  a  wand.  The  man  with  the  steel  head- 
piece was  so  intent  on  getting  at  me,  that  he  did  not 
see  the  coming  blow.  It  struck  him  full  and  fair 
upon  the  head,  and,  had  it  not  been  guarded  by  the 
helmet,  it  would  have  crushed  it  like  an  egg.  As 
it  was,  it  split  his  casque  wide  open,  and  before  me 
there  I  saw  Don  Lopez,  the  villain !  He  had 
dropped  his  sword,  and  I  leaped  forward  at  his 
throat.  Down  we  went  together,  I  cutting  and 
thrusting  at  him  with  the  few  inches  of  steel  that 
were  left  upon  my  hilt,  but  his  armor  saved  him, 
though  once  and  again  I  almost  reached  his  head. 
Still  clinging  together,  we  got  up  on  our  feet  and 
staggered  to  the  bulwarks,  and  there  I  had  him,  for 
I  got  my  point  wedged  in  beneath  his  corselet ! 

"Dost  thou  know  me?  "  I  cried  in  Spanish,  "thou 
knave  and  thief!  Remember  how  I  caught  thee 
with  the  stolen  pearls  !  Remember  him  thou  saidst 
had  taken  them  !     Now  answer  for  thy  sins  ! '' 

I  was  about  to  drive  the  short  blade  home,  when 
there  came  a  great  explosion  in  my  ears  that  almost 
stunned  me.  Don  Lopez  fell  backward  from  my 
arms  !  I  turned  and  saw  the  smoking  muzzle  of  an 
arquebus,  and  behind  it  a  tawny  British  face.  So 
close  had  the  Revenge  drifted  and  wedged  herself  to 
the  galleasse's  stern  that  one  of  the  musketeers  see- 
ing my  plight  had  fired  at  close  range  from  her  bul- 
warks.    My  head  still  rang  with  the  nearness  of  the 


"412  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

discharge.  That  Don  Lopez  would  sin  no  more 
was  now  a  certainty.  I  turned  away  from  the  ghastly 
sight. 

The  galleasse  had  surrendered,  and  leaving  a  prize 
crew  on  board,  at  the  call  of  the  trumpet  we  went 
on  the  flagship  and  cast  off  the  grapplings.  It  was 
growing  late  in  the  afternoon,  and  we  were  well  to 
the  westward  of  the  flying  Spanish  squadron,  that 
was  holding  together  like  a  mass  of  water-bugs  in 
an  eddy.  The  Revenge  hauled  off  to  reeve  new 
running  gear.  I  joined  the  Admiral  on  the  deck. 
His  eyes  were  bright  and  sparkling  and  his  cheeks 
aglow. 

"  I  have  some  news  for  thee.  Sir  Matthew,"  he 
cried ;  "  look  over  the  taffrail  there,  look  in  near 
shore ! " 

Pounding  on  the  sands  two  miles  to  leeward  (for 
we  had  worked  in  close  to  the  shallows  in  the  mist 
of  smoke)  lay  a  great  vessel  with  a  yellow  stripe 
along  her  side ! 

"She's  there  for  the  plucking,"  he  said,  "she'll 
make  no  more  fight  of  it !  Take  a  boat  and  put  off 
to  her  —  that  prize  is  thine.  And  hark'ee  !  "  said 
he,  "  if  the  wind  changes  a  few  points  at  the  turn  of 
the  tide,  thou  canst  work  her  off  and  save  her.  I 
will  order  a  pinnace  to  go  to  thy  assistance.  Come, 
bear  a  hand,  make  haste  ! " 

In  less  than  an  hour  I  was  under  the  quarter  of 


The  Armada  413 

the  great  painted  galleon.  Behind  me  1  could  see 
an  English  pinnace  working  down  toward  us.  There 
were  with  me  in  the  boat  an  officer  and  thirty  men, 
enough  to  take  possession.  But  the  Spaniards  had 
no  idea  of  fight.  A  man  in  a  silver-gilt  salet  hailed 
me  over  the  rail.  "  We  have  surrendered,"  said  he. 
And  I  saw  the  reason  why.  When  the  great  ships 
had  come  together,  the  same  bows  that  had  sunk 
the  Sparhawk  had  crushed  the  sternpost  and  rudder 
of  the  San  Marcos,  and  reduced  her  to  a  helpless, 
drifting  hulk. 

My  heart  was  fluttering  as  I  climbed  the  sides. 
There  a  grewsome  sight  awaited  me.  Her  decks 
were  littered  with  mangled  and  dying  men  !  But  I 
did  not  stop  there  long.  Down  I  plunged  into  the 
cabin,  and  there  I  paused. 

Laid  out  upon  a  hastily  constructed  bier,  with 
candles  burning  at  its  head,  was  a  figure  robed  in 
black.  Fearfully  I  lifted  the  cloth,  but  drew  back 
half  in  horror.  There  lay  the  body  of  Padre  Alonzo 
—  dead  this  time  to  a  certainty !  There  was  a 
round,  smooth  hole  through  his  temples.  To  the 
deck  below  I  plunged  again,  and  saw  how  great  had 
been  the  destruction.  Handsome  silk  and  satin 
hangings  were  torn  and  scattered  in  confusion.  I 
paused.  Moved,  I  know  not  by  what  impulse,  I 
called  a  name  aloud,  — 

"  Inez ! " 


414  Drake  and  His  Yeomen 

There  came  no  reply,  and  then  again  I  called. 
This  time  I  heard  a  sound,  and,  turning  quickly, 
there  my  dear  lady  stood !  I  stepped  forward  and 
stretched  out  my  arms.  She  did  not  move,  and 
there  we  stood  silent. 

"  Don  Marteo  !  "  exclaimed  another  voice.  From 
behind  a  hanging  curtain  stepped  Donna  Maria. 
She  grasped  her  daughter's  hand.  "  See ! "  she 
cried,  "  God  has  sent  him  to  us !  We  are  saved 
again ! " 

I  saw  the  tall,  slight  figure  swaying,  but  with  an 
effort  Inez  kept  herself  from  falling,  and  then,  with 
a  half  cry,  she  stretched  out  her  hand,  and  her  head 
sank  on  my  shoulder. 

"  Oh,  senor,"  cried  Donna  Maria,  "  she  would 
have  made  such  sacrifice  to  save  us,  for  she  was 
pledged  to  marry  a  man  that  she  detested, — one  of 
Parma's  officers.  Padre  Alonzo's  nephew.  We  were 
prisoners  here.  She  would  have  sacrificed  herself, 
for  the  Black  Wolf  had  agreed  to  spare  our  lives  if 
she  would  obey  him  I  Our  lives  were  in  his  hands 
again." 

Inez  Hfted  her  head,  and  her  eyes  sought  mine. 

"  I  thought  I  would  never  see  thee  more,"  she 
said. 

"  Thank  God,  who  has  watched  over  us,"  I  re- 
plied.    "  We  will  not  part." 


The  Armada  415 

That  night  was  brilliant  with  the  great  round 
moon.  As  the  tide  turned,  we  worked  the  San 
Marcos  off  the  shoal,  and  at  daylight,  towed  by  the 
pinnace,  we  dropped  our  anchor  in  Portland  harbor. 
Drake  and  his  Yeomen  had  taken  a  fair  prize.  But 
I  had  made  a  fairer  —  one  worth  to  me  more  than 
all  the  golden  galleons  that  ever  sailed  the  seas. 


YANKEE  SHIPS  AND  YANKEE 
SAILORS:   Tales  of  J8J2. 

BY 

JAMES  BARNES, 

Author  of  "Naval  Engagements  of  the  War  of  1812" 
"  A  Loyal  Traitor"  "  For  King  and  Country"  etc. 

With  Numerous  Illustrations  by  R.  P.  ZOGBAXJM  and 
CARLTON  T.  CHAPMAN. 

Crown  8vo.     Cloth,  gilt  top.     $1.50. 


COMMENTS. 


"  There  are  passages  in  this  book  which  are  as  strong 
and  captivating  as  the  work  of  the  best  writers  of  the 
day;  to  mariners  and  those  who  love  the  sea  and  ships 
these  tales  will  appeal  irresistibly. 

"  Each  story  is  a  gem  by  itself.  It  is  told  with  a  direct- 
ness and  a  strength  which  carries  conviction.  All  are 
based  upon  actual  occurrences,  Mr.  Barnes  tells  us,  and 
while  some  of  the  incidents  related  may  come  under  the 
head  of  tradition,  yet  most  of  them  are  historical  facts,  and 
he  has  worked  up  each  tale  so  cleverly,  so  compactly,  so 
entertainingly,  that  they  may,  one  and  all,  be  taken  for 
models  of  their  kind."  —  Seaboard. 

"  Good  stories  well  told  are  those  of  *  Yankee  Ships  and 
Yankee  Sailors.'  They  deal  with  the  gallant  defenders  of 
such  vessels  as  the  Chesapeake.,  the  Vixen.,  the  fiery  little 
Wasp.,  and  grand  *  Old  Ironsides?  All  the  stories  are 
told  in  a  spirited  style  that  will  quicken  the  blood  and  the 
love  of  country  in  every  Yankee  heart." 

— New  England  Magazine. 


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STORIES  FROM  AMERICAN  HISTORY 


Each  Crown  8vo.    Cloth.    $1.50 


De  Soto  and  his  Men  in  the  Land  of  Florida 

By  GRACE  KING,  Author  of"  New  Orleans:  the  Place  and  the  People,"  "  Jean 
Baptiste  Le  Moyne,  Sieur  de  Bienville,"  "  Balcony  Stories,"  etc.  Illustrated  by 
George  Gibbs, 

Yankee  Ships  and  Yankee  Sailors.     Tales  of  xSia 

By  JAMES  BARNES.    Illustrated  by  R.  F.  Zogbaum  and  C.  T.  Chapman. 

Southern  Soldier  Stories 

By  GEORGE  GARY  EGGLESTON,  Author  of  "  A  Rebel's  Recollections,"  etc., 
etc.    Illustrated  by  R.  F.  Zogbaum. 

Tales  of  the  Enchanted  Islands  of  the  Atlantic 

Bv  THOMAS  WENTWORTH  HIGGINSON,  Author  of  "  Young  Folks'  History 
of  the  United  States,"  '*  Malbone,"  "Cheerful  Yesterdays,"  etc.  Illustrated  by 
Albert  Herter. 

Buccaneers  and  Pirates  of  Our  Coasts 

By  FRANK  R.  STOCKTON,  Author  of"  Rudder  Grange,"  etc.,  etc.  Illustrated 
by  G.  Varian  and  G.  W.  Clinedinst. 

The  Story  of  Old  Fort  Loudon 

A  Tale  of  the  Cherokees  and  the  Pioneers  of  Tennessee,  1760.  By  CHARLES 
EGBERT  CRADDOCK,  Author  of  "Where  the  Battle  was  Fought,"  "The 
Prophet  of  the  Great  Smoky  Mountain,"  etc.    Illustrated  by  E.  C.  Peixotto. 


Among  other  Volumes  to  follow  are : 
Early  Canadian  Explorers 

By  GILBERT  PARKER,  Author  of  "  Pierre  and  his  People,"  "  A  Romany  of  the 
Snows,"  etc.,  etc. 

Californian  History  and  Exploration 

By  CHARLES  H.  SHINN. 

Tales  of  the  Great  Lakes 

By  C.  G.  D.  ROBERTS. 

Other  Volumes  are  to  follow 


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